Trends in consumption pattern of consumers in Punjab: Choice between Traditional Retail stores and Organized Retail Stores

Abstract

Punjab has become a land of unlimited opportunities, offering distinct advantages to the investors and industries. The rise in disposable income, increase in the number of dual income nuclear families and preference for an aspirational lifestyle is driving a positive change in the attitudes towards consumption. This change in consumption pattern is attracting many modern organized retail formats to the state. This paper tries to explore the way organized retail has dramatically changed not only the traditional retailing structure but also the consumption behavior of people in the state. The consumption behavior has been examined with the help of a consumer survey, using a structured questionnaire, conducted in major urban cities of Punjab. The findings indicate that convenience and variety are the two attributes which make the organized retail stores more preferable than traditional retail stores.