Estudo de Mercado no El Corte Inglés - Gaia

: divisão roupa interior e acessórios homem e divisões moda homem e moda jovem ele

Abstract

In order to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and to maximize each section’s potential, El Corte Inglés – Gaia made a proposal for the development of a market research. The main goal of this research is to understand the possible causes for the sales stagnation in the “Man Accessories and Underwear” section. The methodology used in this study was the action research methodology, which was complemented by a literature review with a specific focus on consumer behavior. Given the importance that the present research has to El Corte Inglés – Gaia, the sample included 254 individuals and involved not only “Man Accessories and Underwear” section costumers, but also the costumers of the other sections of this floor (“Youth and Man Fashion”). It was also conducted an observational study, involving 102 observations, which allowed a deeper understanding about our costumers’ buying behaviors. The analysis of the results did not allow us to reach a single conclusion. Instead, we found several factors that, in some way, contribute to the “Man Accessories and Underwear” sales rupture. Regarding the product category and its long product life cycle, 72,4% of the individuals only purchase this type of items when there is an actual need. The adverse economic context that Portugal is in, also influences the costumers’ behavior. The product’s price is a crucial factor during the decision-making process, and 27,5% of the “Man Accessories and Underwear” costumers consider the prices too high. In summary, it is essential to rethink and adapt the strategies to fulfill the existent “Man Accessories and Underwear” section gaps. Thereby, El Corte Inglés – Gaia should increase the products visibility by repositioning them in more exposed areas, so that the impulse purchase could be enhanced, and adopt pricing strategies suitable to the costumers’ purchasing power and to the economic environment.

Date of Award	5 Mar 2014
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Joana Machado (Supervisor) & Maria Manuela Figueiredo Maia (Co-Supervisor)