This issue consists of four papers. In the first paper, “Exploring the Possibilities
of Marketing Value-Added Fish and Fish Products in Assam”, the authors, Pradip C Bhuyan and Chandan Goswami, opine that value addition is the most important aspect of the food processing industry, particularly with regard to export-oriented fish processing industry, because of increased realization of valuable foreign exchange. To sustain fish farming as a profitable venture, value addition is very essential. The paper explains the possibilities of production and marketing of value-added fish products based on consumption preference patterns of the consumers. The study reveals that the percentage of respondents opting for ready-to-eat fish is more in the urban areas than in the rural areas of Assam. The study also focuses on consumer’s acceptability, test marketing, packaging and presentation, awareness of pricing systems, publicity, etc. and concludes that there is an opportunity for value-added fish products which will further encourage entrepreneurship.

The second paper, “Mall Mania: A Study of Factors Influencing Consumers’ Preference Towards Shopping Malls in Coimbatore City”, by R Swamynathan, A Mansur Ali, and Umesh Chandrasekhar, focuses on the present-day euphoria, ‘mall shopping’. Mall culture has changed the life style of Indians with their changed preferences and status symbols. The research design is descriptive, and primary data was collected using a questionnaire. The paper focuses on the various factors influencing the consumers’ preference towards shopping malls in Coimbatore. The main purpose of this study was to provide an insight into mall attractiveness factors in a Tier-2 south Indian city like Coimbatore. The authors conclude saying that malls mean no-fuss and no-sweat environment for a no-compromise group of consumers.

In the third paper, “A Study of the Factors Influencing Cultural Tourists’ Perception and Its Measurement with Reference to Agra”, the author, Amitabh Mishra, states that tourism is a complex phenomenon as it involves a wide range of services and processes. According to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), travel and tourism are important economic activities in most countries around the world. Tourism is one of the largest and leading players among other industries, and is the fastest growing sector. The study highlights that the only type of tourism that has really been part of India’s life is cultural tourism because of the country’s rich culture and tradition. The author concludes that factors like age, education and family income have an influence on the perception regarding tourist destination (in this case Agra).

This is the age of cut-throat competition in every field, especially the banking sector. Given this backdrop, the last paper, “Service Quality Versus Customer Satisfaction in Banking Sector: A Literature Review”, by Sunayna Khurana, focuses on the meaningful relationship between perceived service quality and customer satisfaction for long-term benefits and business success. This is because all the banks in India offer similar kind of services, and the only way they can perform better than the rest is by providing better service quality, which is the first step in search of excellence.

-- B Shafiulla
Consulting Editor