Product Availability, Preference and Challenges Faced by FMCG Retailers of Rajkot City in Gujarat

Abstract:

Retailers are the backbone of India's FMCG supply chain, yet very few studies have looked closely at what shapes their stocking choices, how satisfied they are with the brands they carry, and what practical difficulties they deal with every day. This empirical research study, utilizing the published theoretical literature and descriptive cross-sectional research design, focused on three food categories - honey, peanut butter, and organic products - and surveyed 75 retail outlets across Rajkot city in Gujarat to understand retailers’ perspective on various aspects like product availability, brand preferences, satisfaction and constraints faced by them. A structured interview schedule was used, and the data were analyzed through percentage analysis, Likert scale analysis, and Garrett Ranking Method. The results showed that honey was stocked almost everywhere, peanut butter was slowly but steadily gaining ground in modern trade stores, and organic products were largely limited to specialized outlets. Dabur and Patanjali dominated honey sales, Dr. Oetker and Pintola led in peanut butter, and Amul held the strongest position in the organic segment. When retailers were asked what matters most in choosing a brand to stock, profit margin came out on top (mean score 4.24), followed by customer demand (3.95) and product quality (3.69). On the satisfaction side, regular and reliable supply was what retailers appreciated the most (mean 4.13), while they were least happy with the promotional support they received from manufacturers (3.30). The Garrett ranking placed low retailer margin as the single biggest challenge (mean score 55.24), with low consumer demand (55.13) and intense market competition (54.15) close behind. The findings make a strong case for improving retailer margins, strengthening supply chains, and building consumer awareness - especially for newer FMCG categories in tier-II cities like Rajkot.