Images Retail

Indoor vs Outdoor Air
What used to be a dreadful shopping exercise earlier, has now become a pleasant experience, thanks to the retail boom in India. However, with the advent of malls, shopping has become an indulgence as these malls offer almost everything under one roof, in a soothing and comforting ambience...

Implementing a disciplined process of energy saving
Several independent studies have shown that payback periods as well as ROI make energy-saving techniques a highly attractive proposition, and the soft benefits create goodwill within and outside the company...

Chain of command
Wal-Mart is a supply chain driven company obsessed with lowering costs. The widening of panama canal is just another opportunity to lower costs to protect their razor-thin profit margins. Since the cost of container shipping is about to come down again, suppliers and manufacturers for companies such as wal-mart are already planning for the future...

Evolving Times
Traditional trade’s biggest strength is also its biggest weakness. We are some time away from becoming a modern trade dominant market, even with the healthy growth rate that this channel is seeing in today’s times. Traditional stores across the country are not only a resilient lot but they score over modern retail by their sheer proximity to the consumer...

Line of Control
India’s retail history is also replete with examples of regional players who have started their journey as humble regional players and have become a national player. Even as some regional players have remained content with their leading slot in the region and have not spread its presence elsewhere. Be it Vivek’s in South India or Sumangal in Kolkata, Beach Fashion or Sohum Shoppe in Guwahati, or Jade Blue in Ahmedabad — regional retailers have conquered their respective regional markets, have established themselves as a brand but yet to go beyond the regional catchments...

Retail (oring) Differentiation
Should manufacturers roll out the red carpet for modern trade? In the recently concluded Food Forum in Mumbai, one of the aspects that were discussed was whether modern retaiIlers need to be treated differently as compared to the traditional channel by F&G/FMCG manufacturers...

The Science of Hand Holding
Brand proliferation, consumer unrest, market slowdown and increasing competition all point towards better servicing and efficient management. It is no news that technology can help retailers to forecast supply, replenish better, cap shrinkage, raise sourcing efficiency, contain input costs, track inventory,manage the supply chain better...