Methods in Business Research: Gold Leaf Pakistan

 

Q.1. In this question, we asked the retailers about the impact on sales of Gold Leaf, after the introduction of the new Centenary pack. Whether the sales had increased, decreased, or not changed.

RATIONALE: To find out the impact on sales after the introduction of the new Centenary pack.

DIRECTED TO: All the retailers.

 

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION:

 

EFFECT ON SALES	INCREASED	NOT CHANGED	DECREASED
RESPONSES	2	32	26
PERCENTAGES	3.33	53.33	43.33

 

 

Interpretation: From the responses of retailers to this question we came to know that a very small percentage of retailers-3%- felt that the sales of Gold Leaf had gone up after the introduction of the new Centenary Pack.

Majority of the retailers felt that there has been no impact on the sales, while 43% of the retailers revealed that the sales of Gold Leaf had decreased after the launch of the John Player Gold Leaf.

 

 

Q.2. In this question, the retailers, who felt that the sales of Gold Leaf had increased after the introduction of the Centenary pack, were asked about the reason behind the increase in sales.

 

RATIONALE: To find out the reason behind the increase in sales.

 

DIRECTED TO: All the respondendents who felt that the sales of Gold Leaf had increased after the introduction of the Centenary Pack.

 

 

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION:

 

 

Findings: There were only two retailers in our sample of s60 retailers who felt that the sales of Gold Leaf had increased after the introduction of the John Player Gold Leaf. Even those two were unable to explain the reason behind the increase in sales.

 

Interpretation: From the responses to this question, we found out that there has not been any increase in the sales of Gold Leaf after the introduction of the Gold Leaf Centenary pack.

 

Q.3. In this question, the retailers, who felt that the sales of Gold Leaf had decreased after the introduction of the Centenary pack, were asked about the reason behind the decrease in sales.

 

RATIONALE: To find out the reasons behind the decrease in sales.

 

DIRECTED TO: All the respondents who felt that the sales of Gold Leaf had decreased after the introduction of the Centenary Pack.

 

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION:

 

REASONS	TASTE	PACKING	BLEND	PRICE	OTHERS
RESPONSES	18	14	2	0	8

 

Interpretation: From the responses to this question, we found out that Taste deterioration was the major reason behind the decrease in the sales after the introduction of the Gold Leaf Centenary pack. 43% of the retailers felt that “Taste” was the reason behind the decreased sales.

“Packing” and “Other Reasons” were the next two major attributes mentioned by the retailers, 33% of the retailers felt that “Packing” was the reason behind the decrease in sales, while around 19% of the retailers said that “Other Reasons” were behind the decreased sales of Gold Leaf .

Following are the “Other Reasons” given by the retailers:

• Filter loosely attached to the body of the cigarette
• Thick pieces of tobacco in cigarettes
• Improper functioning of the Fliptop of the pack
• Loosely filled tobacco/Lesser tobacco per cigarette

 

 

Q.4. In this question, the retailers were asked about the number of cartons that they sell each day.

 

RATIONALE: To determine the number of cartons that a retailer sells each day so that we can use this information to verify the reserves that they keep for the purpose of trade.

 

DIRECTED TO: All the retailers of Gold Leaf.

 

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION:

 

 

NUMBER OF CARTONS SOLD	20 OR MORE	15-19	10-14	5-9	4 OR LESS
RESPONSES	0	0	8	18	34

 

 

Interpretation: We found out that 8 of the retailers whom we surveyed, sold 10-14 cartons each day, 18 sold 5-9 cartons each day, while 34 retailer had sales of less than 4 cartons.

 

 

Q.5. In this question, the retailers were asked that the reserves they keep were enough for how many days.

 

RATIONALE: To determine the number of days for which they keep reserves, so that this information can be used to determine whether the retailers purchased their stock from the sales persons of PTC or not.

 

DIRECTED TO: All the retailers of Gold Leaf.

 

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION:

 

RESERVES ARE ENOUGH FOR	2 DAYS OR LESS	3 DAYS	4 DAYS	5 DAYS	6 DAYS OR MORE
	32	10	2	6	0

 

 

Interpretation: From the responses to this question, we came to know that the reserves that the retailers on the average keep were enough for 2-3 days.

 

Q.6. In this question, we asked the retailers if they had any complaints with respect to the Centenary pack that they would like the Pakistan Tobacco Company to know.

 

RATIONALE: To distinguish between those retailers who had any complaints and those who did not.

 

DIRECTED TO: All the retailers of Gold Leaf.

 

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION:

 

 

COMPLAINTS	YES	NO
REPONSES	60	40

 

Interpretation: 40% of the retailers in our sample had no complaints with respect to the new Centenary Pack, while 60% had complaints which they wanted the company to know.

 

 

 

 

Q.7. In this question, we asked the retailers to disclose the complaints with respect to the Centenary pack that they would like the Pakistan Tobacco Company to know.

 

RATIONALE: To determine the complaints that the retailers had.

 

DIRECTED TO: All the retailers of Gold Leaf, who had complaints with respect to the new Centenary pack.

 

FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION:

 

COMPL AINTS	INADE QUATE SUPPLY	IMPROPER ATTITUDE OF THE SALESMEN	DELIVERY OF DAMAGED STOCK	DISSAT ISFIED WITH AFTER SALES SERVICE	ANY OTHER
RESPONSES	0	4	6	0	34

 

Interpretation: Following is the summary of the complaints that the retailers had and wanted PTC to know about them:

• 4 retailers had complaints about the attitude of the salesmen.
• 6 retailers complained that the stock delivered by the salesmen of the company is damaged.
• 34 of the retailers had other complaints. Following are some of the other complaints:

* Improper functioning of the fliptop

* Lesser tobacco per cigarette

* Increase in customer complaints about the new pack

* Filter not properly attached to the cigarette

* Shortage of supply close to the announcement of Budget

* Shortage of Capstan, another brand of PTC, in the market.