What is a cash and carry store and why is it so called?

A cash and carry store is different from regular retail chains which target professional customers rather than end-consumers. This concept is based around self-service and bulk buying and serves registered customers only. The core customer groups are hotels, caterers, traders and other business professionals. Such stores aim to prevent any intervention by middlemen and require buyers to make their own arrangements and assume all risk.

Opportunities in Indian Organized Retail Sector The opportunities in Indian organized retail sector are many for this sector is witnessing a boom. The retail industry in India amounted to US$ 200 billion in 2006, and out of this amount the Indian organized retail sector amounted to US$ 6.4 billion. The opportunities in India organized retail sector can be judged from the fact that by 2010 it is expected to rise to US$ 23 billion. - See more at: http://business.mapsofindia.com/india-retail-industry/opportunities-in-indianorganized-retail-sector.html#sthash.Smu7mE70.dpuf The various opportunities in the organized retail sector in India are mainly there for the Indian consumers behavior pattern has changed. Now the Indian consumer gets more hefty paypackages, is younger, a large number of women are working, western influences, and more disposable income have opened a lot of opportunities in Indian organized retail sector. The Indian consumer wants to shop, eat and get entertainment in one place and is have also given Indian organized retail sector an opportunity to grow.

The Indian government in 2005 allowed foreign direct investment (FDI) in single brand retail to 51%. This has opened up a lot of opportunities in India organized retail sector. In fact 325 departmental stores, 300 new malls, and 1500 supermarkets are being built which shows the tremendous opportunities in the organized retail sector in India.

Many Indian companies seeing the various opportunities in organized retail sector in India have entered it. Pantaloons have decided to increase its retail space to 30 million square feet with an investment of US$ 1 billion. Reliance Industries Limited is targeting for annual sales of US$ 25 billion by 2011. It is planning to invest US$ 6 billion in order to open 1,500 supermarkets and 1000 hypermarkets. Bharti Telecoms is planning a joint venture with Telco a global retail giant worth 750 million.

The opportunities in the organized retail sector in India have also increased with the desire of many global retail giants to set up shop here. The global retail giants who are entering the Indian organized retail sector are:

Tesco Wal- Mart Metro AG Carrefour SA

The opportunities in Indian organized retail sector are varied and it must be fully exploited by the Indian retailers.

Retail in India - The Past, Present and Future

Before the decade of eighties, India with hundreds of towns and cities was a nation striving for development. The evolution was being witnessed at various levels and the people of India were learning to play different roles as businessmen and consumers. Retail-which literally means to put on the market, is a very important aspect of every city. Without a well organized retail industry we would not have our necessities and luxuries fulfilled. Be it our daily groceries or fashion accessories and everything in between, retail industry brings us the blissful experience of shopping. Though organized retailing industry began much earlier in the developed nations, India had not actively participated. However with its vast expanse and young population, India in the 21st century emerges as a highly potential retail market. The journey of retailing in India has been riveting and the future promises further growth. Here is a complete picture deciphering the past, present and future trends of Indian Retail Market. Retail in India - Past Before the decade of eighties, India with hundreds of towns and cities was a nation striving for development. The evolution was being witnessed at various levels and the people of the nation were learning to play different roles as businessmen and consumers. The foundation for a strong economy were being laid, youth were beckoning new awareness in all spheres. And this brought in an opportunity for retail industry to flourish. First in the metros and major cities later to impact sub urban and rural market as well. Retailing in India at this stage was completely unorganized and it thrived as separate entities operated by small and medium entrepreneurs in their own territories. There was lack of international exposure and only a few Indian companies explored the retail platform on a larger scale. From overseas only companies like Levi's, Pepe, Marks and Spencer etc. had entered targeting upper middle and rich classes of Indians. However as more than 50 % population was formed by lower and lower middle class people, the market was not completely captured. This was later realized by brands like Big Bazaar and Pantaloons who made their products and services accessible to all classes of people and today the success of these brands proves the potential of Indian retail market. A great shift that ushered in the Indian Retail Revolution was the eruption of Malls across all regional markets. Now at its peak, the mall culture actually brought in the organized format for Retailing in India which was absent earlier. Though malls were also initially planned for the

higher strata, they successfully adapted to cater to the larger population of India. And it no wonder, today Malls are changing the way common Indians have their shopping experience. However there is still great scope for enhancing Indian mall culture as other than ambience and branding many other aspects of Retail Service remains to be developed on international standards. To your surprise there was not a single mall in India a decade before and just a few years ago only a handful of them were striving, today there are more than 50 malls across different cities and 2 years from now around 500 malls are predicted to come up. Indeed this shows a very promising trend ahead, however before taking a leap into the future of Retail in India, let's see what the Indian retail Industry is currently occupied with. Retail in India - Present At present the Retail industry in India is accelerating. Though India is still not at an equal pace with other Asian counterparts, Indian is geared to become a major player in the Retail Market. The fact that most of the developed nations are saturated and the developing ones still not prepared, India secures a great position in the international market. Also with a highly diverse demography, India provides immense scope for companies brining in different products targeting different consumers. According to the Global Retail Development Index, India is positioned as the foremost destination for Retail investment and business development. The factor that is presently playing a significant role here is the fact that a large section of Indian population is in the age group of 2034 with a considerably high purchasing power; this has caused the increase in the demand in the urban market resulting in consistent growth in the Retail business. And though the metros and other tier 1 cities continue to sustain Retail growth, the buzz has now shifted from these great cities to lesser known ones. As the spending power is no longer limited to metros, every tier 2 city in the country has good market for almost every product or service. Due to this, tier 2 cities like Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Pune, Kolkatta, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Hyderabad, Cochin, Nagpur, Indore, Trivandrum etc. provide a good platform for a brand to enter Indian market. However there are a few precautions for every brand that explores Indian market. As Indian consumers are very curious and have a broad perspective, they respond well to a new product or concept and there are very fair chances of a brand surviving well, but every Indian consumer be it an urbanite or a small town dweller needs a feeling of value for money. Although labeled as tight fisted, Indian consumers are great spenders once they realize that they are getting value for their money. Also new product /service concepts from the western world are better adopted first by the urban Indians, the smaller markets respond well to the need based retailing rather than luxury concepts. As the Indian retailing is getting more and more organized various retail formats are emerging to capture the potential of the market.

Mega Malls Multiplexes Large and small supermarkets Hypermarkets Departmental stores are a few formats which flourishing in the both big and small regional markets

As the major cities have made the present retail scenario pleasant, the future of the Indian Retailing industry lies in the rural regions. Catering to these consumers will bring tremendous business to brands from every sector. However as the market expands companies entering India will have to be more cautious with their strategic plans. To tap into the psyche of consumers with different likes and dislikes and differing budgets a company has to be well prepared and highly flexible with their product and services. In this regard focusing on developing each market separately can save a brand from many troubles. Retail in India - The Future According to a study the size of the Indian Retail market is currently estimated at Rs. 704 crores which accounts for a meager 3 % of the total retail market. As the market becomes more and more organized the Indian retail industry will gain greater worth. The Retail sector in the small towns and cities will increase by 50 to 60 % pertaining to easy and inexpensive availability of land and demand among consumers. Growth in India Real estate sector is also complementing the Retail sector and thus it becomes a strong feature for the future trend. Over a period of next 4 years there will be a retail space demand of 40 million sq. ft. However with growing real estate sector space constraint will not be there to meet this demand. The growth in the retail sector is also caused by the development of retail specific properties like malls and multiplexes. According to a report, from the year 2003 to 2008 the retail sales are growing at a rate of 8.3% per annum. With this the organized retail which currently has only 3% of the total market share will acquire 15-20 % of the market share by the year 2010. Factors that are playing a role in fuelling the bright future of the Indian Retail are as follows:

The income of an average Indian is increasing and thus there is a proportional increase in the purchasing power. The infrastructure is improving greatly in all regions is benefiting the market. Indian economy and its policies are also becoming more and more liberal making way for a wide range of companies to enter Indian market. Indian population has learnt to become a good consumer and all national and international brands are benefiting with this new awareness. Another great factor is the internet revolution, which is allowing foreign brands to understand Indian consumers and influence them before entering the market. Due to the reach of media in the remotest of the markets, consumers are now aware of the global products and it helps brands to build themselves faster in a new region

However despite these factors contributing to the growth of Indian retail Industry, there are a few challenges that the industry faces which need to be dealt with in order to realize the complete scope of growth in Indian market. Foreign direct investment is not allowed in retail sector, which can be a concern for many brands. But Franchise agreements circumvent this problem. Along with this regulations and local laws and real estate purchase restrictions bring up challenges. Other than this lack of integrated supply chain and management and lack of trained workforce and flux of the market in terms of price and product choice also need to be eliminated. Despite these challenges many international brands are thriving in the Indian market by finding solutions around these challenges. A company that plans to enter Indian market at this time can definitely look forward to great business if it analyzes and puts efforts on all parameters. And with Good Planning, Timely Implementation and a media campaign that touches Indian consumers any brand can go far ahead in the Indian Retail Revolution.

Government policy and regulation to the retail industry in India.

India's government seems to be on a gradual but definite path toward allowing foreign retailers into the country.... suggests the A.T. Kearney's Retail Development Index 2006. It is a common knowledge that the Union government has to face a number of hurdles both from it's opponents as well as it's allies before it could announce the final verdict. There have been demands from all corners regarding framing of rules to safeguard interests of the so-called small traders. Simultaneously economists have the consensus that industrialization is imperative for the growth of the economy and foreign investment has to play an inevitable role in it. With Lok Sabha elections to come in 2009, the Union government too seems a bit confused regarding decision in who's favor can provide it a political edge. So in this study let us compare the views for and against liberalization as is held by Indian Bureaucrats. Entry of large players: stiff opposition from Left Parties The recent outburst of fury among the Kerala's LDF(Left Democratic Front) Government has been noticeable. They have exacted for a three-pronged approach to prevent the retail giants from serving the Keralians. At the first stage, not only MNCs but also the local retail giants like

Reliance will be shown the red signal. In fact a magnified CPI protest has compelled a Reliance Fresh outlet in Kochi to take police protection. The draft of a bill has been finalized to amend the Kerala Essential Commodities Act so that the state government can intervene in the retail market. As a second step, local councils (70% of which is controlled by the Left) will deny licenses, that are mandatory to start a retail chain in the state. Kochi and Tiruvananthapuram corporations will be in fact commanded to reconsider the licenses of outlets that are already operating in the regions. This strategy grants more power to the state. However a ban on shopping in these outlets is still not clear. The third and the most revolutionary judgment is actually an outcome of the whole game. Government-controlled supermarkets and hypermarkets will be established in some of the key cities in the state. This rigid legal wall not only in Kerala but across the country has been born out of a traditional mindset. Kerala claims to have a literacy rate of 90.92% and a sex ratio of 1058 females per 1000 males. The data speaks for the government's prudent commitment in the case of Kerala. So it is high time that the government opens up avenues for its people to let them grow and become self dependent. But the government is still holding good, the conventional 'infant industry' outlook. The main worry is the negative impact on the already gloomy condition of employment. Let's make an attempt to understand the vicious circle of unorganized retailing and present employment scenario. Unorganized retailing has a share of about 96% in the Indian retail sector. But why should people work in such miserable situations if the manufacturing and services sector are booming is the overwhelming question. There has been a trend to migrate to cities in search of alluring bright city lights. But the consequences have been been even worse- earning lower than expected wages (Harris Todaro model of migration). The illiterate and unskilled people ultimately set up a grocery shop to earn a living. This gives birth to another unorganized retail shop in India and thus enlarges its share. So the unorganized retail market in India has born out of fate rather than selection. The Actual Scene

Those opposing the expansion of organized retail in India must understand that the share of primary sector shrinks and that of the secondary and then the tertiary sector expands as an economy grows. This is the basic structural adjustment in case of any transforming economy. India is at a take off stage. Retardation in the agricultural sector is not permissible but inhibiting the growth of services on grounds of protection to agriculture is more irrational. A proof of this has been seen in a small town of North Bengal. The opening of a Big Bazaar (brand name for stores under Pantaloon) departmental store has seen a human deluge of about 7,000 people in the 35,000 sqft shopping mall by 3pm. This clearly indicates that people (even in remote places) have become fed up of monotonous marketing practices and demand nowadays is purely governed by choice. The Ruling UPA government's outlook The UPA government is rather clear in its aim of taking India to new highs. The commerce minister has repeatedly asserted that FDI will kill two birds with the same stone. It will generate substantial direct as well as indirect employment and at the same time will not tamper with the present scope of the unorganized retail market. The indirect employment includes jobs in transport, packaging and other logistic services. It will enhance competition in the country thus giving a virtual chance to face global challenges while operating at home. Mr. Nath is clearly focused on the utilization of FDI in acquiring benefits. It is true that such investments will bring in huge imports but this may also help in the Indian products reaching the foreign consumers. Foreign majors such as Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour are ready to enter India. The UPA government has already permitted 51 percent FDI in Single-brand products without consulting its allies and it is expected that slowly but steadily the government will achieve its goal.