Analyzing Customer Relationship Management of Aarong : A Popular Lifestyle Chain in Bangladesh

Abstract

Being one of the popular lifestyle chains in Bangladesh, Aarong was established in 1978 with a purpose of reducing poverty from the rural areas. Working under BRAC, a non-profitable NGO, Aarong operates its production as a part of social enterprise. Born from humblest of beginnings, Aarong is now Bangladesh’s largest lifestyle retail chain owning a total of 20 outlets all over the country. Aarong is turning 40 this year and it operates 13 AAF centres while ensuring the livelihood of over 70,000 artisans spreading throughout the country. The primary objective of this report is to get hands-on experience of CRM of Aarong and applying the theoretical knowledge in real life situation. CRM entails all ways of interactions which a company uses to communicate with its customers whether it is sales or service related issues. Aarong is operating a Club marketing Program for maintaining CRM. Club marketing program means a company’s membership card holder by customers to get discounts or privileges from there. Aarong provides a membership card policy named “My Aarong Rewards Program” for its regular customers depending on the purchase value of Aarong products. There are three types of membership card. Starting with lifestyle card, customers are given a certain period of time to collect point through purchasing for the up-gradation procedure. A customer can upgrade his card once in two years either from lifestyle to Gold or Gold to Platinum. After reaching Platinum, the card will be left no more up-gradation. Aarong has been using different types of CRM tools to evaluate its customers’ satisfaction and to increase sales which I have mentioned in this report. There are some very important issues and information that I have learned about during the internship period. I could not share those issues and information because of being too much confidential. However I have tried my best to work with all the important CRM activities and to provide all the valid and legal information in the report.