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A STUDY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOWARDS DECATHLON
PRODUCTS
DR.S. PURUSHOTHAMAN1, EMIL RAJ. I2, AADHARSH.M3, KEERTHANA.S4, DAVIS DANNIEL.N5
I.Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, Easwari Engineering College, Chennai. 2,3,4,5. II MBA, Department of Management Studies, Easwari Engineering College, Chennai.
ABSTRACT:
This study aims to investigate the level of customer satisfaction with Decathlon products. The research will explore factors that influence customer satisfaction such as product quality, price, design, and customer service. A mixed-method approach will be used, including a survey questionnaire with Decathlon customers. The study will provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of Decathlon's products and services, as well as recommendations for improving customer satisfaction. The findings of the study will be useful for Decathlon to enhance their products and services to meet customer needs and expectations.
KEYWORDS: Customer Satisfaction, Price, Quality, Decathlon, Customer service.
INTRODUCTION OF THE STUDY:
Customer satisfaction towards Decathlon products is a crucial aspect of any business that seeks to maintain long-term success. Decathlon is a popular sporting goods retailer known for its range of affordable and high-quality products. The satisfaction of customers who purchase anduse Decathlon products is essential for the company's reputation and customer loyalty.
Customer satisfaction is the degree to which customers are happy or pleased with a company's products, services, and overall experience. In this case, customer satisfaction towards Decathlon products may include items such as clothing, shoes, equipment, and accessories forvarious sports and activities. The satisfaction levels of customers can be affected by various factors such as product quality, pricing, availability, and customer service.
Understanding customer satisfaction towards Decathlon products can be achieved through quantitative and qualitative research methods. This may involve surveys, interviews, and other methods to gather data on customer experiences, opinions, and perceptions of Decathlon products. The data can then be analyzed to identify areas where Decathlon is performing welland areas where there is room for improvement. PROBLEM STATEMENT:
Despite Decathlon being a leading sports retailer with a wide range of products, there have been reports of customers being dissatisfied with the quality of their products, customer service,and overall shopping experience. This has resulted in a decline in customer loyalty and negativeword-of-mouth, which could have a significant impact on Decathlon's reputation and revenue.Therefore, it is essential to understand the factors that contribute to customer dissatisfaction and identify areas for improvement to increase customer satisfaction levels. By addressing these issues, Decathlon can retain its existing customers and attract new ones, leading to long-term success and profitability. NEED OF THE STUDY:
• To identify the factors that contribute to customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction withDecathlon products and services.
• To understand the impact of customer satisfaction on Decathlon's reputation, revenue, and customer loyalty.
• To evaluate Decathlon's current customer satisfaction levels and identify areas for improvement.
• To provide recommendations for improving customer satisfaction and retainingexisting customers while attracting new ones.
• To assess the effectiveness of Decathlon's current customer satisfaction strategies and make
suggestions for improvement. SCOPE OF THE STUDY:
• The study will focus on Decathlon's customers in a specific geographic area.
• The study will cover a range of products and services offered by Decathlon.
• The study will include both online and offline customers.
• The study will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative researchmethods, including surveys, interviews, and customer feedback analysis.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
Study on customer satisfaction towards Decathlon products - Teynampet SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:
• To identify the factors that influence customer satisfaction with Decathlon products.
• To evaluate the quality of Decathlon products from the customers' perspective.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:
The research methodology is a methodical approach to resolving a problem that lays out the steps for conducting research. It includes depicting the problem, understanding its peculiarities, and anticipating their solution. The study of methods for acquiring information is another definition of research strategy. Its goal is to provide a plan for the research work. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY:
> The study may suffer from sample bias if the participants are not representative of the general population or the specific target audience of Decathlon products. For example,if the study only includes participants who are already fans of Decathlon, the results may not accurately reflect the opinions of the general population.
> The time limitations of the study were only 3 months.
> The study may only focus on certain aspects of customer satisfaction, such as product quality, pricing, and customer service, while ignoring other important factors, such as marketing, advertising, and brand image.
> The study may have a small sample size, which can limit the generalizability of the findings.
> There may be external factors that affect customer satisfaction, such as changes in the economy or competitors' actions, that are not accounted for in the study.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
Zairi (2000) The feeling of pleasure and expectation fulfillment is known as Satisfaction. If the product cannot satisfy customer feelings they will be dissatisfied, and if product satisfies them after the use customer will be satisfied and become loyal to that product or brand. In otherwords customer satisfaction is about those goods or services which fulfill the customer expectation in terms of quality and service for which he has paid.
John T. Bowen et., al., (2001) Develops and implements a method for hotels to identify attributes that will increase customer loyalty. Other hotels can replicate the methodology usedin this study. The study makes the uses of the hotel's database to draw samples for both focus groups and a mail survey.
Gilbert, G.R., et., al., (2004) The study reveals the unique relationship between the nationalityand the determinants of customer satisfaction. The study further establishes the linkage of customer satisfaction to cultural factors, thus paving way to the cross cultural comparison of service satisfaction at four different countries essentially speaking English but differing in cultures. Veloutsou., et., al., (2005) This describes in his study regarding customer satisfaction tangible products and services, there is a distinction. This distinction between tangible and intangible goods becomes coz different factors of customer satisfaction, and that is why they should be treated
separate and distinct.
Das Prasun., et., al., (2009) The satisfaction survey instruments, as there is no control over survey design. The basic tenet of this research stream is that higher service quality improves customer satisfaction, resulting in better financial performance, although the mechanisms by which this improvement happens vary. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION:
Distribution of the respondents for the satisfaction of overall quality of decathlon products
S.NO PARTICULAR COUNT PERCENTAGE %
1 Very Satisfied 47 46
2 Somewhat Satisfied 34 33
3 Neutral 17 16
4 Somewhat Dissatisfied 3 3
5 Very Dissatisfied 2 2
TOTAL 103 100%
Graphical presentation of Data Analysis
50 -
40
\ I
Verv Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied
SOURCE: Primary Data INFERENCE
From the above analysis, it is inferred that here 46% of the respondents are very satisfied, 33%of the respondents are somewhat satisfied, 16% of the respondents are neutral, 3% of the respondents are somewhat dissatisfied and 2% of the respondents are very dissatisfied for the overall quality of the Decathlon products. ONE-WAY ANOVA:
Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference in satisfaction with the quality ofDecathlon products among different age groups.
Alternative Hypothesis (H1): There is a significant difference in satisfaction with the quality of Decathlon products among different age groups.
ANOVA
How satisfied are you with the overall satisfaction of Decathlon products?
Neutral Somewhat Very Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
BetweenGroups 1.096 3 .365 .403 .751
Within Groups 89.758 99 .907
Total 90.854 102
INFERENCE:
Since the calculated significant value is 0.751 which is higher than the significant level of 0.05. Hence, the null hypothesis is accepted and the alternative hypothesis is rejected. Therefore, it is proven that there is no significant difference in satisfaction levels among the age groups of Decathlon products.
FINDINGS:
> Majority of the respondents are very satisfied with the overall quality of decathlonproducts.
> Majority of the respondents are very satisfied with the variety of products Decathlonoffered.
> Majority of respondents are very satisfied with the pricing of Decathlon products.
> Majority of the respondents consider the factor quality while purchasing products indecathlon.
> Majority of the respondents says somewhat important in the factor to purchase decathlon products.
> Majority of the respondents rated Good for the durability of decathlon products.
CONCLUSION:
> The study found that quality, pricing, and variety of products were the most importantfactors for customers when purchasing from Decathlon, and the company received highsatisfaction ratings in these areas.
> The study revealed that Decathlon's customer service was also highly rated, indicating the company's focus on providing a positive customer experience.
> The majority of respondents expressed a high likelihood of purchasing from Decathlonagain in the future, as well as recommending the company's products to others.
> The study highlights the importance of catering to the preferences and needs of differentcustomer segments, such as those based on age, income, and occupation.
> The findings suggest that Decathlon's focus on sustainability and ethical practices maybe positively received by customers, as these issues were identified as important by some respondents.
REFERENCE:
[ 1] Decathlon annual reports: https://www.decathlon.com/pages/decathlon-group-annual- report
[2] "Factors affecting customer satisfaction in sport retailing" by Kassim, N. M., Ismail, I.S., & Yaacob, N. A. (2014) in Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 144, 381-388.
[3] "Assessing the customer satisfaction determinants in the retail sector: evidence from sportswear stores" by Athanassopoulos, A. D., & Vlachvei, A. (2008) in The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 18(4), 377-392.
[4] "Customer satisfaction and loyalty in the sports retail industry: a study of Decathlon UK" by Stavros, C., & Boutsouki, C. (2019) in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50, 98-106.
