Retail India Business - News, Views and Much More

Retail India: Reliance Enters the Stationary Business with Office Depot?

Reliance Retail, part of Reliance Industries is all set to roll out another category of retail specializing in stationary stores. Company sources have confirmed plans to set up 250 stores by 2010 and has had several rounds of talks with potential global chains like Office Depot. Recently Pantaloon of Future Group had announced its entry with a JV with Staples.

With Office Depot and Staples tying up with Reliances and Future Group, the bitter competition will be no different from the American Shores to the Indian Shores once both set shop.

Retail India: UK's Argos Ties Up with HyperCity / Shoppers Stop

UK's leading home and improvement retail group,  Home Retail Group Plc, has drawn a Joint Venture to develop its Argos retail format with Shoppers Stop and Hypercity Retail India.

Under the agreement, Argos will provide its brand, concept and multi-channel expertise and IT Support to the Joint Venture. The Stores will be named HyperCITY-Argos and will start in Mumbai later this year.

Retail India: Hindustan Lever (HLL) Response to the Big Boys

With growing retail penetration and the sudden influx of major new entrants like Reliance, soon to arrive Bharthi - WalMart, and existing chains like Niligiris, Trinethra, Subhiksha, FoodWorld, Spencers, and Future Group, the other element in the Value Chain to be squeezed is the Suppliers. More than other retailers or competition feeling the pinch of organized retail, the immidiate tremors are first felt with the distributors who are backed and developed by the manufacturers / brands or directly by the brands themselves. Suppliers like HLL in grocery retailing have been long trying to manage such key accounts.

HLL's latest response is to roll out its recent strategy of giving a makeover to existing mom & pop corner stores with a brand facelift and rebranding them as HLL Super Value Stores. This has been in place for over 2 years now and the company plans to extend this further. This will develop a stronger connect to customers to go back to thier old stores in a new retail environment which offers the advantage of the local kirana, friendly and known faces, with the advantages of organized retail and customer service. HLL has already seen some visible growth its current Super Value Stores.

Retail India: Tesco Camps at Business Schools

Whilst Tesco is still in the look out for a Indian partner to team up its much anticipated foray, it is believed that the company is busy scouting for talent in the top Business Schools in the country and also seeking for manpower with retail background. Well the official line is it is scouting for talent for its Tesco Hindustan Service Centre but the unofficial talk is the latest round of manpower scouting is for its retail foray.

Retail India: UK's Kingfisher to Enter India

UK's Home Improvement Chain - Kingfisher PLC is considering setting shop in India with a modest initial investment of US$ 250 million. Kingfisher is currently in its initial phase and is looking for a good partner to team with as a 100% direct entry is not allowed yet.

Retail India: Government Sparks The FDI Retail Debate

Well its always an interesting topic that can tick anyone. With the Government up to its usuals in trying to protect the public by raising fresh concerns of FDI in Retail with specific concerns in respect to Wal-Mart, I can not help but wonder in awe.

This must be the most debated subject by the Government for years now and it just never seems to stop. The ruling Government, Congress, has raised fresh concerns on how FDI in Retail and entry of Wal-Mart with a tie-up with Bharthi could affect the aam admi - Government's slang for Common Man

The debate already raised a month ago questioned the legality of the entry of Wal-Mart which the Commerce Ministry had given a clean chit. More so the route that Wal-Mart is entering India is not the first with many others like Germany's Metro Group, Australia's Woolworths, etc already in the country.

The same Government that allowed FDI in Retail for single brand stores and started this new wave of debate is questioning itself.

But what the irony of all this is not the Governments concerns and care for the common man, but rather the market situation of the existing trade. When there are Indian Companies investing US$ 5 Billion + and talking about rolling out over 2000 stores across the country across categories, etc like Reliance Retail, which is one of the extremes and many others industrial groups like Essar, Bharthi, Videocon, Tata, Rahejas etc which are just a few to name, how come the government has no concern what these industrial groups can do to the common man. Its no doubt that with companies with deep pockets like Reliance can do to the local trader.

The new wave of Retail Chains have already affected the common trader and its impact is yet to be felt. Whilst the Government keeps a closed eye, intent or no intent, its ironical that the Government raises debates about banning or restricting International Retail Chains. What took Wal-Mart 20 years to do, Relaince is trying to outdo in 3 to 5 years. Wal-Marts Retail Floorspace is 600m Sq.ft. and US$ 300 in 45 years while Reliance is attempting to cover 100m Sq.Ft. in 3 years with US$ 25 Billion. Now should't the government keep a watch on its own kind?

Retail India: Staples Entry into India

Staples Inc,  has entered a JV with Pantaloon Retail to set shop in India. This marks yet another entry into a new segment by the Future Group / Pantaloon. Staples is the top U.S.A. based office supplies retail chain.

A rollout is expected in major cities with an investment of US$ 20 million to start with.

Retail India: Argos to Enter India

Catalogue Retailer, Argos, part of the UK Home Retail Group, is keen on entering India and is in talks with the Rahejas. Argos is one of UK's prominent and established Catelogue retailer with a number of stores in the high street.

Retail India: Costco To Enter India

Costco Wholesale Corp, the world's fifth largest retailer, is planning to enter India.

Retail India: Starbucks to Enter India

Is Starbucks slated to enter India and with a tie-up with Pantaloon? Although there is much media attention and a recent article on the same confirming the same, the Indonesian Franchisee has declined comment on the same. Although there may not be much information of with whom Starbucks is partnering with, Starbucks has made it very clear that it plans to enter India by the end of 2007 in either Bombay or Delhi with its first outlet and India continues to be a focus of new markets to enter.