Consumer Preferences in the Indian Confectionary Sector: A Study into the Traditional and Organised Retail Chains

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23947650

Anav Goyal¹ and N.K. Chadha² (Researcher, DPS, Agra, Uttar Pradesh¹ and Department of Psychology, Delhi University, Delhi²)

Organized retail in the Indian confectionery industry has grown significantly, still traditional local sweet shops still influence customer purchase decisions. This study compares the preferences of consumers living in Tier 1 metropolitan and Tier 2 cities between traditional local sweet shops and organized confectionery franchise businesses. Eight items on a five-point Likert scale in a self-developed questionnaire were used in a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Convenience sampling was used to gather primary data via digital measures with a sample of 104 participants. Consumer preference of purchasing sweets were assessed using a survey which measured two sub-dimensions: Brand Standardization and Quality Perception and Generational Loyalty. Descriptive statistics and an independent-samples t-test were used to analyze the data. The results demonstrated that respondents from both city levels vary statistically significantly, with respondents from Tier 1 metropolitan cities exhibiting more heritage-oriented purchasing behavior than those from Tier 2 cities. The findings suggest that conventional confectionary shops continue to earn significant returns on the basis of existing consumer confidence and cultural attachment while modern chain of confectionary retail brands tend to be favored for hygiene, consistency, and convenience. The study highlights the coexistence of traditional and structured retail formats and offers valuable inputs to businesses who want to combine contemporary retail strategies with traditional customer expectations.