THE BIG FAT INDIAN RETAIL BOOM TO GET FATTER

Malls have yet to do away with the notion of being high priced and they can in no way compete with the small shops, which offer home delivery and personalized services. The kirana shop is a unique but distinctive feature of the Indian landscape and there is no way that we see it disappearing soon! Like they say – “we are like this only!”

clipped from www.premiuminvestments.in THE BIG FAT INDIAN RETAIL BOOM TO GET FATTER! The big retail boom in India is set to get only bigger but the bigwigs like Big Bazaars and the D-Marts would co-exist with the kirana shop or the medical shops at your nukkad. That in a nutshell is what has been concluded by the 14-month long, Govt mandated, huge and voluminous report filed in by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). It was appointed by the commerce and industry ministry to assess the impact of organised retail (modern, big) on livelihood security of traditional small traders (kirana stores). It surveyed family-run retailers, consumers, farmers, large and small manufacturers and intermediaries. 14-month long and reams and reams of paper – the study concluded what the ubiquitous Shantaben could have told you in one snap – big malls is fine but grocery and vegetables in malls? No way! A quick synopsis of the findings of the report: