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Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail

   

Added on  2023-06-18

34 Pages9773 Words440 Views
Business DevelopmentMarketingData Science and Big DataPhilosophySociology
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INDIVIDUAL
RESEARCH PROJECT
(“To analyse the role of social
networking sites at the time of pandemic
of COVID-19 pandemic on the retailer
companies of India. A study on Reliance
Retail.” )
Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail_1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW ...............................................................................................................6
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................11
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS..........................................................................................15
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ...........................................................................31
REFRENCES ...............................................................................................................................32
Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail_2

INTRODUCTION
Social networking refers to the usage of internet based sites of social media for
connecting with family, colleagues, friends, clients or customers. Social networking sites have a
social motive, business purpose, through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Social networking has become an important base for marketers to seek for engaging large
number of customers (Naeem, 2020). Basically in an organisation social marketing sites are used
for encouraging brand recognition and increasing brand loyalty. Social media could help in
connecting businesses and people and also assist in promoting brand awareness.
Social media networking includes the maintenance and development of business and
personal relationships utilising technology. This is basically done by above mentioned
networking sites. These sites have contribution in connecting corporations with customers and
clients so that they could develop relationships and can easily share message, information and
ideas. It is commonly used by marketers so that they could easily increase the brand recognition
and brand loyalty (Koch, Frommeyer and Schewe, 2020). It assists companies to be more
accessible to new customers as well as existing customers. Social media marketing assists in
promoting brand content and voice.
The COVID-19 global pandemic has created problems for the business as well as for the
whole world because it has come up with situation that made every business to shut down
suddenly. During COVID-19, social media has helped businesses to keep their presence in front
of their customers. Social media has played major role in connecting customers with retail
industry. When COVID-19, people have moved towards social media networking sites and this
has created opportunity for retail industry to stay connected with their existing customers as well
as potential customers. Social media is generally used by organisations to understand their
customer's need and requirements (John and Walford, 2021). On the other hand, customers use
social media to know about the latest launch of companies and brands. Retail companies use
social media sites to give latest information to customers so that they could be engaged with the
brand. With the assistance of social media networking sites retailers could easily keep an eye on
the requirements of existing as well as potential customers.
Social media creates an environment through which customers get an opportunity to
make direct contact with customers (Mukherjee and Banerjee, 2019). Customers could easily
make complaints and enquiries about the products and services so that they could be easily
Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail_3

connected to the organisation. The current research report covers the role of social networking
sites during the time of COVID-19. The chosen organisation in the current research project is
Reliance Retail.
Research Aim
“To analyse the role of social networking sites at the time of pandemic of COVID-19
pandemic on the retailer companies of India. A study on Reliance Retail.”
Research Objectives
To analyse the concept of social media in the retailer firms of India like Reliance Retail.
To identify the ways in which retailer firms of India make use of social networking sites
at the time of pandemic.
To assess the challenges faced by the retail companies of India in making use of social
networking sites.
To recommend various strategies through which the retail businesses can be run by
making use of social media at the time of pandemic of COVID-19.
Research Questions
Define the concept of social media in the retailer firms of India ?
What are the ways in which retailer firms of India make use of social networking sites at
the time of pandemic ?
What are the challenges faced by the retail companies of India in making use of social
networking sites ?
What are the various strategies that could be recommended through which the retail
businesses can be run by making use of social media at the time of pandemic of COVID-
19?
Background of the chosen organisation
Reliance Retail is an Indian retail organisation. It is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries
Ltd. The company is founded in the year 2006. It is largest retailer in India in regard to revenue.
This is the outlet that provides groceries, footwear, apparel, foods, electronic goods, home
improvement goods, farm inputs and implements. The headquarters of the company is located in
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The company also uses different social networking strategies to
connect with number of customers.
Rationale of the research
Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail_4

The main motive of the present research is to identify the role of role of social
networking sites at the time of pandemic of COVID-19 pandemic on the retailer companies of
India. Social media networking is the concept in the business world that is continuously growing
and developing (Naeem and Ozuem, 2021). This topic is selected because social media sites has
played major role in the present time that is COVID-19. It has been identified that COVID-19
has created distance between customers and companies because people were unable move out
from their residence and companies were unable to operate their business with full efficiency.
So, the present research has covered the concept of social media in India especially in retail
industry with the ways companies use social media to connect with large number of customers
and continue with their sales.
Problem statement of the research
The main problem related with the current research project is the global pandemic that is
COVID-19. It has been recorded that the global pandemic made retail industry to shut their
operations or decrease their working efficiency. The pandemic made difficulty for companies
because they were unable to reach large number of new customers as well as existing customers.
For dealing with this problem companies have used social media networking sites so that they
could easily communicate with their customers and attract new customers (Rakshit and et. al.,
2021). The sites have helped in making communication with customers about their needs and
requirements. The current research project has also focused on the challenges faced by
companies while dealing with the social media networking sites.
Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail_5

LITERATURE REVIEW
Define the concept of social media in the retailer firms of India ?
According to Prasad, Garg and Prasad, (2019), The term social media is defined as usage
of social media or social networks within the market in order to promote goods and services of
an organisation. Social media is one of the significant tool which helps the business to reach out
to maximum number of audience for the major purpose of attaining mission and objectives of the
organisation. In the context of retail market using social media an organisation may read minds
of their customers and recognise their needs which resultantly assists the business to enhance
their customer range and to target market in optimal manner. Social media can be used by an
organisation in order to target niche market and to develop appropriate market image as well. For
retail business social media is essentially playing significant role in developing their market and
ratio of succession as well. This is highly required for the business to develop their presence over
social media in current point of time so that to compete with their rivals and to acquire
succession opportunities as well.
In the current scenario social media is one of the trending channel which is used by most
of the business for the purpose of gaining higher market image. In this manner there are certain
reasons due to which organisations are using social media as their tool and prominent among this
is gaining higher market prominence (Diffley and McCole, 2019). In India as market is highly
competitive in nature due to adoption of globalisation and existence of various organisation.
These are the reasons due to which Indian retailer have to use social media as their tool of
marketing in order to get existence to their business into the market and to compete with their
competitors. Besides this retail industry is one of the successful industry in to the markets of
India which is having capacity to cover larger number of customers so that the organisation may
develop market image in well defined manner.
In Indian market there are various complexities which are faced by businesses operated
within retail industry. In this manner using social media this would be easier for the business to
acquire success into the market and retain their position as well. Social media allows the business
to build appropriate relationship with their customers and in this manner significant feedbacks
can be taken by them which helps the business to reach out to their target audience in easy
manner along with giving them higher level of satisfaction. For India as the country is running in
its growing stage which means that using of emerging trends within business could be beneficial
Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail_6

for the companies working in India for reaching to their business objectives and to take
advantages of economic reforms in India. This is analysed that using social media new avenues
can be created within business and the same can be aligned with acquiring benefits as in context
of developing market image and sustainability as well.
What are the ways in which retailer firms of India make use of social networking sites at the
time of pandemic ?
According to Chaudhary (2020), The pandemic has given higher negative impact to he
businesses running in various industry and specifically within retail industry. This is clearly
stated that retail business is associated with direct communication with customers and due to
implications of pandemic their business seen their worst time. For retail businesses their major
role is to engage higher customers within their business so that to develop their market
prominence and succession ratio as well. In India there are various ways that can be used by the
businesses in respect to social media so that to develop their market presence within pandemic.
Instagram is one of the prominent tool that can be used by businesses which helps them
to grow and sustain in pandemic situation. Under pandemic situation the major issue was faced
by the organisation was related with reaching out to the customers and in this manner Indian
retailer may have seen issues in their business for dealing with the business. Besides this using
Instagram will lead the business to acquire more customers and reach out to their target audience
as well (Hsu, 2019). Using such aspects Indian retailer may develop specific edge as in relation
to developing their target audience in such a manner that they will get customers loyalty as well.
This is being analysed that people within India are highly selective in nature so that the major
issue within companies are aligned with developing their business in such a way that this will
lead them to acquire higher customers along with their longevity as well.
On the other hand another tool for social networking is Facebook. There are various
trends and initiatives which are introduced by Indian businesses so that they can reach out to
maximum number of customers and attain their objectives as well. Using such tools an
organisation may develop their market image and attain sustainability as well. On the other hand
this is determined that in Indian market higher competition is existed so in order to deal with the
same level of competition businesses. The time of pandemic is very crucial as this destroyed
various businesses and due to this various businesses may faced issues related to their
profitability. Using Facebook Indian organisation may acquire higher edge into the market and
Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail_7

deal with crisis faced due to COVID. This is examined that in current time social media network
is associated with developing such market image by which they can deal with appropriate
manner to their competitors.
What are the challenges faced by the retail companies of India in making use of social
networking sites ?
According to Hole, Pawar and Khedkar (2019), Retail industry in India is having choice
to develop their business using various platforms in order to reach out to maximum number of
customers and to retain them for longer period of time as well. This is being examined that there
are differential reasons due to which businesses are able to acquire market position along with
gaining of sustainability as well. In this manner there are various challenges which are being
faced by the organisation so that to develop their business and to use social media as well. These
challenges are associated with minimising growth for the company within retail industry. This is
examined that there are such reasons due to which businesses within retail industry. In order to
deal with such challenges businesses are required to use social media as their prior tool. Using
such tools an organisation may acquire higher market presence and to acquire their customers
appropriately.
In the context of Indian retailer, this is significant that such organisations are able to
cover their market share and image by using social media as their primal channel. In the terms of
issues the major issue is linked with selecting appropriate social media channel. Businesses are
facing prominent issues when they have to decide upon channels of their social media so that to
attain their business objectives and to develop their mission as well. This is clearly determined
that there are such reasons due to which businesses may require to develop their edges in such a
manner that this would provide them several consequences as in context of dealing with market
competitors and develop rivalry into the market (Dixit and Prakash, 2018). In order to deal with
such issues this is imperative that to provide attainability to the business so that in long edge
overall objectives can be attained.
Security is the another issue which is being faced by the organisation while developing
their social media marketing platform. This is seen that there are numerous businesses which are
not having secured businesses and they do not have apt secured network as well. This will
develop the business to face several consequences in their profitability and market image as well.
Security is one of the significant aspects which are required to be undertaken so that to develop
Role of Social Networking Sites on Retailer Companies during COVID-19: A Study on Reliance Retail_8

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