Urban customers lack awareness of Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of food, grocery, toilet, cosmetics and other FMCG products when going to purchase them at the kirana shops or any of the malls in their area, says a survey.
A random survey by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) revealed that of the estimated urban population of 35 crore less than five per cent even took a cursory look at the MRP.
It was found that urban customers generally do not bother to look at MRP prices as income levels in urban India have also been rising rapidly. Interestingly, the survey showed that over 60 per cent of urban customers were women who generally did not bargain with shopkeepers.
The survey found that in the last five to seven years, income levels of urban population are on rise as a result of economic boom and and so enjoys buying products at a price generally fixed by the manufacturers without bargaining which was not the case among rural customers.
Almost 95 per cent of urban customers prefer not to bargain on food articles such as flour, rice, edible oil, pulses, ghee and other FMCG products such as soaps, detergents, eatables, grocery products, toiletries as also electronic and electrical gadgets for which brand is important for them.
The survey was conducted in Delhi, Meerut, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Thiruvanthapuram.
The urban customers randomly cross check the prices and if there are some variations in the MRP, they tend to buy from another shop or outlet, the survey said.
However, it found that in the rural areas, most of the population continue to resort to bargaining with the shopkeeper and it was felt that this practice will continue until their income levels also go up.
