Retail

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Retail stores" redirects here. For the comic strip by Norm Feuti, see Retail (comic strip).

Drawing of a self-service store. Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser.[1] Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be individuals or businesses. In commerce, a "retailer" buys goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers or importers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller quantities to the end-user. Retail establishments are often called shops or stores. Retailers are at the end of the supply chain. Manufacturing marketers see the process of retailing as a necessary part of their overall distribution strategy. The term "retailer" is also applied where a service provider services the needs of a large number of individuals, such as a public utility, like electric power. Shops may be on residential streets, shopping streets with few or no houses or in a shopping mall. Shopping streets may be for pedestrians only. Sometimes a shopping street has a partial or full roof to protect customers from precipitation. Online retailing, a type of electronic commerce used for business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions and mail order, are forms of non-shop retailing. Shopping generally refers to the act of buying products. Sometimes this is done to obtain necessities such as food and clothing; sometimes it is done as a recreational activity. Recreational shopping often involves window shopping (just looking, not buying) and browsing and does not always result in a purchase.

Etymology

The Apple Store retail location on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago.

The world's only Garmin retail location is located on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Retail comes from the Old French word tailer (compare modern French retailler), which means "to cut off, clip, pare, divide" in terms of tailoring (1365[citation needed]). It was first recorded as a noun with the meaning of a "sale in small quantities" in 1433[citation needed] (from the Middle French retail, "piece cut off, shred, scrap, paring").[2] Like the French, the word retail in both Dutch and German (detailhandel and Einzelhandel, respectively) also refers to the sale of small quantities of items.

[edit] Types of retail outlets

San Juan de Dios Market in Guadalajara, Jalisco

Inside a supermarket in Russia A marketplace is a location where goods and services are exchanged. The traditional market square is a city square where traders set up stalls and buyers browse the merchandise. This kind of market is very old, and countless such markets are still in operation around the whole world. In some parts of the world, the retail business is still dominated by small family-run stores, but this market is increasingly being taken over by large retail chains. Retail is usually classified by type of products as follows:

Food products Hard goods ("hardline retailers") - appliances, electronics, furniture, sporting goods, etc. Soft goods - clothing, apparel, and other fabrics.

There are the following types of retailers by marketing strategy:

Department stores - very large stores offering a huge assortment of "soft" and "hard goods; often bear a resemblance to a collection of specialty stores. A retailer of such store carries variety of categories and has broad assortment at average price. They offer considerable customer service. Discount stores - tend to offer a wide array of products and services, but they compete mainly on price offers extensive assortment of merchandise at affordable and cut-rate prices. Normally retailers sell less fashion-oriented brands. Supermarkets - sell mostly food products; Warehouse stores - warehouses that offer low-cost, often high-quantity goods piled on pallets or steel shelves; warehouse clubs charge a membership fee; Variety stores - these offer extremely low-cost goods, with limited selection; Demographic - retailers that aim at one particular segment (e.g., high-end retailers focusing on wealthy individuals). Mom-And-Pop : is a retail outlet that is owned and operated by individuals. The range of products are very selective and few in numbers. These stores are seen in local community often are family-run businesses. The square feet area of the store depends on the store holder. Specialty stores: A typical speciality store gives attention to a particular category and provides high level of service to the customers. A pet store that specializes in selling dog food would be regarded as a specialty store. However, branded stores also come under this format. For example if a customer visits a Reebok or Gap store then they find just Reebok and Gap products in the respective stores. General store - a rural store that supplies the main needs for the local community; Convenience stores: is essentially found in residential areas. They provide limited amount of merchandise at more than average prices with a speedy checkout. This store is ideal for emergency and immediate purchases. Hypermarkets: provides variety and huge volumes of exclusive merchandise at low margins. The operating cost is comparatively less than other retail formats.

Supermarkets: is a self service store consisting mainly of grocery and limited products on non food items. They may adopt a Hi-Lo or an EDLP strategy for pricing. The supermarkets can be anywhere between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2). Example: SPAR supermarket. Malls: has a range of retail shops at a single outlet. They endow with products, food and entertainment under a roof. Category killers or Category Specialist: By supplying wide assortment in a single category for lower prices a retailer can "kill" that category for other retailers. For few categories, such as electronics, the products are displayed at the centre of the store and sales person will be available to address customer queries and give suggestions when required. Other retail format stores are forced to reduce the prices if a category specialist retail store is present in the vicinity. E-tailers: The customer can shop and order through internet and the merchandise are dropped at the customer's doorstep. Here the retailers use drop shipping technique. They accept the payment for the product but the customer receives the product directly from the manufacturer or a wholesaler. This format is ideal for customers who do not want to travel to retail stores and are interested in home shopping. However it is important for the customer to be wary about defective products and non secure credit card transaction. Example: Amazon, Pennyful and Ebay.

Retailing in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A spice market Retailing is one of the pillars of the economy in India and accounts for 13% of GDP.[1] The retail industry is divided into organised and unorganised sectors. Over 14 million outlets operate in the country and only 4% of them being larger than 500 sq ft (46 m2) in size. Organised retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses. Unorganised retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local kirana shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand cart and pavement vendors, etc.[2]

Most Indian shopping takes place in open markets and millions of independent grocery shops called kirana. Organized retail such supermarkets accounts for just 4% of the market as of 2008.[3] Regulations prevent most foreign investment in retailing. Moreover, over thirty regulations such as "signboard licences" and "anti-hoarding measures" may have to be complied before a store can open doors. There are taxes for moving goods to states, from states, and even within states.[3]

[edit] Growth
An increasing number of people in India are turning to the services sector for employment due to the relative low compensation offered by the traditional agriculture and manufacturing sectors. The organized retail market is growing at 35 percent annually while growth of unorganized retail sector is pegged at 6 percent.[4] The Retail Business in India is currently at the point of inflection. Rapid change with investments to the tune of US $ 25 billion is being planned by several Indian and multinational companies in the next 5 years. It is a huge industry in terms of size and according to India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), it is valued at about US$ 395.96 billion. Organised retail is expected to garner about 16-18 percent of the total retail market (US $ 65-75 billion) in the next 5 years. India has topped the A.T. Kearneys annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) for the third consecutive year, maintaining its position as the most attractive market for retail investment. The Indian economy has registered a growth of 8% for 2007. The predictions for 2008 is 7.9%.[5] The enormous growth of the retail industry has created a huge demand for real estate. Property developers are creating retail real estate at an aggressive pace and by 2010, 300 malls are estimated to be operational in the country.[6] With over 1,000 hypermarkets and 3,000 supermarkets projected to come up by 2011, India will need additional retail space of 700,000,000 sq ft (65,000,000 m2) as compared to today. Current projections on construction point to a supply of just 200,000,000 sq ft (19,000,000 m2), leaving a gap of 500,000,000 sq ft (46,000,000 m2) that needs to be filled, at a cost of US$1518 billion.[7] According to the Icrier report, the retail business in India is estimated to grow at 13% from $322 billion in 2006-07 to $590 billion in 2011-12. The unorganized retail sector is expected to grow at about 10% per annum with sales expected to rise from $ 309 billion in 2006-07 to $ 496 billion in 2011-12.[8]

[edit] The Indian Retail Market

Indian market has high complexities in terms of a wide geographic spread and distinct consumer preferences varying by each region necessitating a need for localization even within the geographic zones. India has highest number of outlets per person (7 per thousand) Indian retail

space per capita at 2 sq ft (0.19 m2)/ person is lowest in the world Indian retail density of 6 percent is highest in the world.[9] 1.8 million households in India have an annual income of over 45 lakh (US$100,350).[10] Delving further into consumer buying habits, purchase decisions can be separated into two categories: status-oriented and indulgence-oriented. CTVs/LCDs, refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, microwave ovens and DVD players fall in the status category. Indulgence-oriented products include plasma TVs, state-of-the-art home theatre systems, iPods, high-end digital cameras, camcorders, and gaming consoles. Consumers in the status category buy because they need to maintain a position in their social group. Indulgence-oriented buying happens with those who want to enjoy life better with products that meet their requirements. When it comes to the festival shopping season, it is primarily the status-oriented segment that contributes largely to the retailers cash register.[11] While India presents a large market opportunity given the number and increasing purchasing power of consumers, there are significant challenges as well given that over 90% of trade is conducted through independent local stores. Challenges include: Geographically dispersed population, small ticket sizes, complex distribution network, little use of IT systems, limitations of mass media and existence of counterfeit goods.[12]

Big Bazaar: The Brand Building Challenge

- by Ravi Bhatia * Previous Page - 14 Exhibit 10: Future Strategies of Big Bazaar

Exhibit 11: Life Cycle of Big Bazaar

5Share The distribution of consumer products begins with the producer and ends at the ultimate consumer. Between the producer and the consumer there is a middlemanthe retailer, who links the producers and the ultimate consumers. Retailing is defined as a conclusive set of activities or steps used to sell a product or a service to consumers for their personal or family use. It is responsible for matching individual demands of the consumer with supplies of all the manufacturers. The word retail is derived from the French work retailer, meaning to cut a piece off or to break bulk. A retailer is a person, agent, agency, company, or organization which is instrumental in reaching the goods, merchandise, or services to the ultimate consumer. Retailers perform specific activities such as anticipating customers wants, developing assortments of products, acquiring market information, and financing. A common assumption is that retailing involves only the sale of products in stores. However, it also includes the sale of services like those offered at a restaurant, parlour, or by car rental agencies. The selling need not necessarily take place through a store. Retailing encompasses selling through the mail, the Internet, door-to-door visitsany channel that could be used to approach the consumer. When manufacturers like Dell computers sell directly to the consumer, they also perform the retailing function. Retailing has become such an intrinsic part of our everyday lives that it is often taken for granted. The nations that have enjoyed the greatest economic and social progress have been those with a strong retail sector. Why has retailing become such a popular method of conducting business? The answer lies in the benefits a vibrant retailing sector has to offeran easier access to a variety of products, freedom of choice and higher levels of customer service. As we all know, the ease of entry into retail business results in fierce competition and better value for customer. To enter retailing is easy and to fail is even easier. Therefore, in order to survive in retailing, a firm must do a satisfactory job in its primary role i.e., catering to customers. Retailers cost and profit vary depending on their type of operation and major product line. Their profit is usually a small fraction of sales and is generally about 9-10%. Retail stores of different sizes face distinct challenges and their sales volume influences business opportunities, merchandise purchase policies, nature or promotion and expense control measures. Over the last decade there have been sweeping changes in the general retailing business. For instance, what was once a strictly made-to-order market for clothing has now changed into a ready-to-wear market. Flipping through a catalogue, picking the right colour, size, and type of clothing a person wanted to purchase and then waiting to have it sewn and shipped was the standard practice in the earlier days. By the turn of the century some retailers set up a storefront where people could browse, while new pieces were being sewn or customized in the back rooms. Almost all retail businesses have undergone a similar transition over the years.

SCOPE OF RETAILING SCOPE OF RETAILING: The word retail is derived from the French word retailer, meaning to cut a piece off or to break bulk. In simple terms, it implies a first-hand transaction with the customer. Retailing can be defined as the buying and selling of goods and services. It can also be defined as the timely delivery of goods and services demanded by consumers at prices that are competitive and affordable. Retailing involves a direct interface with the customer and the coordination of business activities from end to end- right from the concept or design stage of a product or offering, to its delivery and post-delivery service to the customer. The industry has contributed to the economic growth of many countries and is undoubtedly one of the fastest changing and dynamic industries in the world today. TYPES OF RETAIL OPERATIONS: Retail operations enable a store to function smoothly without any hindrances. The significant types of retail operations consist of: Department store Specialty store Discount/Mass Merchandisers Warehouse/Wholesale clubs Factory outlet Retail Management System targets small and mid-size retailers seeking to automate their stores. The package runs on personal computers to manage a range of store operations and customer marketing tasks, including point of sale; operations; inventory control and tracking; pricing; sales and promotions; customer management and marketing; employee management; customized reports; and information security. THE EMERGING SECTORS IN RETAILING: Retailing, one of the largest sectors in the global economy, is going through a transition phase not only in India but the world over. For a long time, the corner grocery store was the only choice available to the consumer, especially in the urban areas. This is slowly giving way to international formats of retailing. The traditional food and grocery segment has seen the emergence of supermarkets/grocery chains (Food World, Nilgiris, Apna Bazaar), convenience stores (Convenio, HP Speedmart) and fast-food chains. THE EMERGING SECTORS IN RETAILING: Retailing, one of the largest sectors in the global economy, is going through a transition phase not only in India but the world over. For a long time, the corner grocery store was the only choice available to the consumer, especially in the urban areas. This is slowly giving way to international formats of retailing. The traditional food and grocery segment has seen the emergence of supermarkets/grocery chains (Food World, Nilgiris, Apna Bazaar), convenience stores (Convenio, HP Speedmart) and fast-food chains. Though this economic melt down affected the retail businesses the most. It is the non-food segment, however that foray has been made into a variety of new sectors. These include lifestyle/fashion segments (Shoppers' Stop, Globus, LifeStyle, Westside), apparel/accessories (Pantaloon, Levis, Reebok), books/music/gifts (Archies, MusicWorld, Crosswords, Landmark), appliances and consumer durables (Viveks, Jainsons, Vasant & Co.), drugs and pharmacy (Health and Glow, Apollo). The emergence of new sectors has been accompanied by changes in existing formats as well as the

beginning of new formats: Hypermarts , typically about 10,00 sq.ft or more Large supermarkets, typically 3,500-5,000 sq. ft. Mini supermarkets, typically 1,000-2,000 sq. ft. Convenience stores, typically 750-1,000sq. ft. Discount/shopping list grocer The traditional grocers, by introducing selfservice formats as well as value-added services such as credit and home delivery, have tried to redefine themselves. However, the boom in retailing has been confined primarily to the urban markets in the country. Even there, large chunks are yet to feel the impact of organized retailing. There are two primary reasons for this. First, the modern retailer is yet to feel the saturation' effect in the urban market and has, therefore, probably not looked at the other markets as seriously. Second, the modern retailing trend, despite its cost-effectiveness, has come to be identified with lifestyles. In order to appeal to all classes of the society, retail stores would have to identify with different lifestyles. In a sense, this trend is already visible with the emergence of stores with an essentially `value for money' image. The attractiveness of the other stores actually appeals to the existing affluent class as well as those who aspire for to be part of this class. Hence, one can assume that the retailing revolution is emerging along the lines of the economic evolution of society. RETAILING SCENARIO- GLOBAL VIEW: Retailing in more developed countries is a big business and better organized than what in India. According to a report published by McKinsey & Co. along with the Confederation of the Indian Industry(CII) the global retail business is a worth a staggering US$ 6.6 trillion. In the developed world, most of it is accounted for by the organized retail sector. The service sector accounts for a large share of GDP in most developed economies. Like we had seen in recent recession US Govt had spent USD 2 Billion to the people to promote their consumer market and bypass credit crunch and recession. And the retail sector forms a very strong component of the service sector. In short, as long as people need to buy, retail will generate employment. Globally, retailing is a customer-centric with a emphasis on innovation in products, processes and services. With total sales of US$ 6.6 trillion, retailing is the worlds largest private industry, ahead of finance and engineering. Some of the worlds largest companies are in this sector: over 50 Fortune, 500 companies and around 25 of the Asian Top 200 firms and retailers. Wal-Mart, the worlds second largest retailer, has a turnover of US$ 260 billion, almost one-third of Indias GDP. RETAIL INDUSTRY IN INDIA: Retail is Indias largest industry, accounting for over 10 percent of the countrys GDP and around eight percent of employment. Retail in India is at the crossroads. It has emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast paced industries with several players entering the market. That said, the heavy initial investments required make break even hard to achieve and many players have not tasted success to date. However, the future is promising; the market is growing, government policies are becoming more favourable and emerging technologies are facilitating operations. Retailing in India is gradually inching its way to becoming the next boom industry. The whole concept of shopping has altered in terms of format and consumer buying behavior, ushering in a revolution in shopping. Modern retail has entered India as seen in sprawling shopping centres, multi-storeyed malls and huge complexes offer shopping, entertainment and food all under one roof. The Indian retailing sector is at an inflexion point where the growth of organized retail and growth in the consumption by Indians is going to adopt a higher growth trajectory. The Indian population is witnessing a significant change in its demographics. A large young working population with median age of 24 years, nuclear families in urban areas, along with increasing working-women population and emerging opportunities in

the services sector are going to be the key growth drivers of the organized retail sector. Big in size and turnover, Indian retailing industry is characterized by certain attributes. The network of retailers reaches every nook and corner of the country. So any product produced anywhere in the country can be easily accessed by the buyers from any location. Thus the spatial convenience of Indian retailers is vary high. Secondly, in India the retailing industry is an unorganized lot consisting of, in most of the cases, small entrepreneurs. And the virtual omnipresence of the Indian retailer can be attributed to these small entrepreneurs only. The second attribute gives rise to the following characteristics Power of the retailers, as such is very less, and in many cases it is negligible. This weakness has been exploited by the manufacturers and the stronger partners of the marketing channel. The retailers, in general, abide by the terms and conditions set by the manufacturers and other "big brothers" of the channel. The manufacturers cannot directly reach all retailers in a particular geographical area. Therefore, the manufacturers cannot maintain the desired relationship with the retailers, which in turn, makes management of the channel complicated. This also makes the possibility of a direct feedback loop from the retailers almost remote. Therefore, the member operating between the manufacturers and retailers become more powerful as they can block the channel of communication between the two. So the dependence of retailers on other channel members increases to a high extent. Thus the participation of retailers in the flows of marketing mix becomes lower than desired. The financial strength of the Indian retailers, in general, is very low and hence the investment capabilities. This makes the retailers more dependent on the other channel members. However, these characteristics are peculiar to the small retail outlets and may not be present at every kind of retail level. Retail Shopkeepers: India has sometimes been called a nation of shopkeepers. This epithet has its roots in the huge number of retail enterprises in India, which totalled over 12 million in 2003. About 78% of these are small family businesses utilising only household labour. Even among retail enterprises that employ hired workers, the bulk of them use less than three workers. India's retail sector appears underdeveloped not only by the standards of industrialized countries but also in comparison with several other emerging markets in Asia and elsewhere. There are only 14 companies that run department stores and two with hypermarkets. While the number of businesses operating supermarkets is higher (385 in 2003), most of these had only one outlet. The number of companies with supermarket chains was less than 10. Retail Sales: Retail sales, which amounted to about Rs7,400 billion in 2002, expanded at an average annual rate of 7% during 1999-2002. With the upturn in economic growth during 2003, retail sales are also expected to expand at a higher pace of nearly 10%. In a developing country like India, a large chunk of consumer expenditure is on basic necessities, especially food related items. Hence, it is not surprising that food, beverages and tobacco accounted for as much as 71% of retail sales in 2002. The remaining 29% of retail sales are non-food items. The share of food related items fell over the review period, down from 73% in 1999. This is to be expected as, with income growth, Indians, like consumers elsewhere, spent more on non-food items compared with food products. Sales through supermarkets and department stores are small compared with overall retail sales. However, their sales grew much more rapidly (about 30% per year). As a result, their sales almost tripled during this time. This high acceleration in sales through modern retail formats is expected to continue during the next few years

with the rapid growth in numbers of such outlets in response to consumer demand and business potential. Government Policy: There has been vigorous opposition to foreign direct investment (FDI) in retailing from small traders who fear that foreign retailing companies would take away their business, lead to the closure of many small trading businesses and result in considerable unemployment. Given the political clout of the small trading community, because of their enormous numbers, the government has barred FDI in retailing since 1997. Hence, at present, foreign retailers can only enter the retailing sector through franchising agreements. Growth of Retailing in India: Indian retailing industry has seen phenomenal growth in the last five years (2001-2006). Organized retailing has finally emerged from the shadows of unorganized retailing and is contributing significantly to the growth of Indian retail sector. RNCOS India Retail Sector Analysis (2006-2007) report helps clients to analyze the opportunities and factors critical to the success of retail industry in India. Organized retail will form 10% of total retailing by the end of this decade (2010). From 2006 to 2010, the organized sector will grow at the CAGR of around 49.53% per annum. Cultural and regional differences in India are the biggest challenges in front of retailers. This factor deters the retailers in India from adopting a single retail format. Hypermarket is emerging as the most favorable format for the time being in India. The arrival of multinationals will further push the growth of hypermarket format, as it is the best way to compete with unorganized retailing in India. Technology Impact: The other important aspect of retailing relates to technology. It is widely felt that the key differentiator between the successful and not so successful retailers is primarily in the area of technology. Simultaneously, it will be technology that will help the organised retailer score over the unorganised players, giving both cost and service advantages. Retailing is a `technology-intensive' industry. It is quoted that everyday at least 500 gigabytes of data are transmitted via satellite from the 1,200 point-of-sales counters of JC Penney to its corporate headquarters. Successful retailers today work closely with their vendors to predict consumer demand, shorten lead times, reduce inventory holding and thereby, save cost. Wal-Mart pioneered the concept of building a competitive advantage through distribution and information systems in the retailing industry. They introduced two innovative logistics techniques - cross-docking and electronic data interchange. Today, online systems link point-of-sales terminals to the main office where detailed analyses on sales by item, classification, stores or vendor are carried out online. Besides vendors, the focus of the retailing sector is to develop the link with the consumer. `Data Warehousing' is an established concept in the advanced nations. With the help of `database retailing', information on existing and potential customers is tracked. Besides knowing what was purchased and by whom, information on softer issues such as demographics and psychographics is captured. Retailing, as discussed before, is at a nascent stage in our country. Most organized players have managed to put the front ends in place, but these are relatively easy to copy. The relatively complicated information systems and underlying technologies are in the process of being established. Most grocery retailers such as FoodWorld have started tracking consumer purchases through CRM. The lifestyle retailers through their `affinity clubs' and `reward clubs' are establishing their processes. The traditional retailers will always continue to exist but organised retailers are working towards revamping their business to obtain strategic advantages at various levels - market, cost, knowledge and customer. With differentiating strategies - value for money, shopping experience, variety, quality, discounts and advanced systems and technology in the back-end, change in the equilibrium with manufacturers and a thorough understanding of the consumer behaviour, the ground

is all set for the organised retailers. It would be important to note, however, that the retailing industry in India is still a `protected industry'. It is one of the few sectors which still has restrictions on FDI. Given the current trend in liberalisation, it will not be long before the retailing sector is also thrown open to international competition. This will see a further segregation of the international retailing brands and the domestic retailers, thereby injecting much greater dynamism into the market. That will be when the real action will begin. Major retailers in India: Indias top retailers are largely lifestyle, clothing and apparel stores. This is followed by grocery stores. Following the past trends and business models in the west retail giants such as Pantaloon, Shoppers Stop and Lifestyle are likely to target metros and small cities almost doubling their current number of stores. These Wal-Mart wannabes have the economy of scale to be low medium cost retailers pocketing narrow margin. RETAILING SCENARIOINDIA: The retail scenario in India is unique. Much of its is in the unorganized sector, with over 12 million retail outlets of various sizes and formats. Almost 96% of these retail outlets are less than 500 sq.ft. in size, the per capita retail space in India being 2 sq.ft. Compared to the US figure of 16 sq.ft. Indias per capita retailing space is thus the lowest in the world. With more than 9 outlets per1,000 people , India has the largest number in the world. Most of them are independent and contribute as much as 96% to total retail sales.

Because of the increasing number of nuclear families,working women, greater work pressure and increased commuting time, convenience has become a priority for Indian consumers. They want everything under one roof for easy access and multiplicity of choice. This offers an excellent opportunity for organized retailers in the country who account for just 2% (and modern stores 0.5%) of the estimated US $180 billion worth of goods that are retailed in India every year. The growth and development of organized retailing in India is driven by two main factors lower prices and benefits the consumers cant resist. According to experts, economies of scale drive down the cost of the supply chain, allowing retailers to offer more benefits offered to the customer. The retail business in India in the year 2000 was Rs.400,000 crore and is estimated to go to Rs.800,000 crore by the year 2005, an annual increase of 20%.The contribution of the organized retail industry in the year 2000 was Rs.20,000 crore and is likely to increase to Rs.160,000 crore by 2005. GROWTH OF RETAIL OUTLETS IN INDIA: India is rapidly evolving into a competitive marketplace with potential target consumers in the niche and middle class segments. The market trends indicate tremendous growth opportunities. Global majors too are showing a keen interest in the Indian retail market. Over the years, international brands like Marks & Spencer, Samsonite, Lacoste, McDonalds, Swarovski, Dominos among a host of others have come into India through the franchise route following the relaxation of FDI (foreign direct investment ) restrictions. Large Indian companies among them the Tata, Goenka and the Piramal groups are investing heavily in this industry. Organizations ready to take on this challenge can leverage the opportunities offered by a population of more than a billion. The prospects are very encouraging. Buying behaviour and lifestyles in India too are changing and the concept of Value for Money is fast catching on in Indian retailing. This is evident from the expansion of the pantaloons chain into a large value format, Big Bazaar, and the entry of new discount stores in food retailing in the South, namely, Subhiksha and Margin Free.

ccording to a report by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), investments in organized retailing which include shopping malls, retail chains etc.- doubled from Rs.1,000 crore in January 2000 to Rs. 2,000 crore in January 2001. TRENDS IN RETAILING: The single most important evolution that took place along with the retailing revolution was the rise and fall of the dotcom companies. A sudden concept of `non-store' shopping emerged, which threatened to take away the potential of the store. More importantly, the very nature of the customer segment being addressed was almost the same. The computer-savvy individual was also a sub-segment of the `store' frequenting traffic. Internationally, the concept of Net shopping is yet to be proven. And the poor financial performance of most of the companies offering virtual shopping has resulted in store-based retailing regaining the upper hand. Other forms of non-store shopping including various formats such as catalogue/mail order shopping, direct selling, and so on are growing rapidly. However, the size of the direct market industry is too limited to deter the retailers. For all the convenience that it offers, electronic retailing does not suit products where `look and see' attributes are of importance, as in apparel, or where the value is very high, such as jewellery, or where the performance has to be tested, as of consumer durables. The most critical issue in electronic retailing, especially in a country such as ours, relates to payments and the various security issues involved. Recent trends include: Retailing in India is witnessing a huge revamping exercise. India is rated the fifth most attractive emerging retail market: a potential goldmine. Estimated to be US$ 200 billion, of which organized retailing (i.e. modern trade) makes up 3 percent or US$ 6.4 billion. As per a report by KPMG the annual growth of department stores is estimated at 24%. Ranked second in a Global Retail Development Index of 30 developing countries drawn up by AT Kearney.

The Indian retail industry has grown at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.3% for the period FY06-10. The growth in the Indian economy since the last decade and the change in consumption pattern of the Indian populace in terms of higher proportion of middle class population, greater proportion of working women etc can unarguably be linked to the growth of the Indian retailing industry. Of all the segments in retail, the contribution of food & grocery remained the highest at 58% of the total retail sales during FY10, with the clothing & footwear segment remaining the second largest contributor occupying 10% of the total retail pie during the same period. However in terms of growth figures, the entertainment, books & sports goods equipment' segment outperformed the other retail segments registering a CAGR of 22.5% during the period FY06-10. In spite of the growth, the industry remains largely fragmented with the organized retailing still at a nascent stage. In case of overall retailing revenues, the food & grocery segment accounted for the highest share at 58% of the total retailing pie aggregating Rs.11.49 lakh crore during FY10. In the organised retailing, the food & grocery segment stood as the second largest contributor with revenues aggregating Rs.24,273 crore during the same period. However, the organised retail penetration of other segments such as clothing & footwear, entertainment & books and furniture & furnishing surpassed that of the food & grocery segment. The Indian retail industry has witnessed rampant growth over the last decade. However, during the economic recession since the latter half of FY09, the retailers especially in the organised segment suffered a set-back in the form of declining revenues and halt in their capex plans. The unemployment situation, further aggravating the fear of job losses during the recession, resulted in muted consumer spending with the consumers choosing to spend

on necessities rather than discretionary items; the industry thus witnessed decline in footfalls, conversion rate, which was especially apparent in the decline of same store sales. The slowdown in consumer spending led to the inventory being stacked up resulting in a low inventory turnaround ratio, registering a decline to 4.3 times during FY09 from 4.8 times during FY08. Before the onset of recession, the large scale expansion plans of the Indian retailers warranted an increase in inventory and greater store operating expenses in the form of rentals and staff expenses thus increasing the working capital requirement. However with the economic recession in effect, the retailers were faced with a liquidity crunch owing to difficulties in raising funds both from the equity as well as debt markets. Additionally, the funds raised during the economic boom attracted higher interest rates thereby affecting the retailers' ability to service the interest as well as principal repayments during the downturn. The total interest outgo of the retailers as tracked by CARE Research registered a y-o-y growth of 78.6% during FY09. Even though, post recession, the industry is witnessing a gradual turnaround, it is met by a few stumbling blocks that constitute the challenges ahead for the Indian retail industry viz. higher store rentals as compared to retailers globally, taxation & other policy regulations, inefficiencies in supply chain management and higher rate of shrinkage. In spite of the said challenges, CARE Research expects the Indian retail industry to grow on the backdrop of expectant rise in the country' s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the period FY11-FY13. The rise in income level of the Indian populace, in turn, is expected to fuel the domestic consumption ultimately resulting in higher revenues for the Indian retailers. Importantly, CARE Research expects the penetration of organised retail in the total retail pie to increase by FY13 owing to the expanding reach of the retailers to tier-II & III cities accompanied by higher consumer spend on discretionary items. Also, in an attempt to increase margins, CARE Research expects the retailers would restore to adapting measures such as increasing the share of private labels in the total store sales, reducing store level operating expenses etc. The report on the Indian retail industry provides a comprehensive overview of all the above mentioned parameters with detailed forecasts.

he Indian retail industry has scaled impeccable growth over the last decade with an amiable acceptance to organised retailing formats. The industry is maturing towards modern concept of retailing, cornering the conventional unorganised family-owned businesses. India has been ranked as the fourth most attractive nation for retail investment among 30 emerging markets by the US-based global management consulting firm, A T Kearney, in its Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) 2011. AT Kearney has also conducted a different study which says that organised retailers should follow hypermarket concept to penetrate through Indias US$ 435 billion industry. According to the report, given the gigantic size of the Indian retail market, it is no surprise that many Middle East retailers, most recently Lulu, have announced their interests to extend their retail operations to India.

The retail scenario is one of the fastest growing industries in India over the last couple of years. India retail sector comprises of organized retail and unorganized retail sector. Traditionally the retail market in India was largely unorganized; however with changing consumer preferences, organized retail is gradually becoming popular. Unorganized retailing consists of small and medium grocery store, medicine stores, subzi mandi, kirana stores, paan shops etc. More than 90% of retailing in India fall into the unorganized sector, the organized sector is largely concentrated in big cities. Organized retail in India is expected to grow 25-30 per cent yearly and is expected to increase from ` 35, 000 crore in 2004-05 to` 109, 000 crore ($24 billion) by 2010.

Quick facts on Indian Retail sector

Indian Retail sector is the fifth largest global retail destination. India retail market is dominated by the unorganized sector. The top five companies in retail hold a combined market share of less than 2%. The Indian retail market has been ranked by AT Kearney's eighth annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), in 2009 as the most attractive emerging market for investment in the retail sector. Currently the share of retail trade in India's GDP is around 12 per cent, and is estimated to reach 22 per cent by 2010. According to Government of India estimate the retail sector is likely to grow to a value of ` 2,00,000 crore (US$45 billion) and could yield 10 to 15 million retail jobs in the coming five years; currently this industry employs 8% of the working population.

India continues to be among the most attractive countries for global retailers. According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, approximately US$ 47.43 million was the amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow as on September 2009, in single-brand retail trading.

More than 80% of the retail sector in the country is concentrated in the large cities. A study reveals that among the more than 20 locations, for organized retail in India, Mumbai was found to be the most preferred location followed closely by Bengaluru in the second position. The retail scenario is one of the fastest growing industries in India over the last couple of years. India retail sector comprises of organized retail and unorganized retail sector. Traditionally the retail market in India was largely unorganized; however with changing consumer preferences, organized retail is gradually becoming popular. Unorganized retailing consists of small and medium grocery store, medicine stores, subzi mandi, kirana stores, paan shops etc. More than 90% of retailing in India fall into the unorganized sector, the organized sector is largely concentrated in big cities. Organized retail in India is expected to grow 25-30 per cent yearly and is expected to increase from ` 35, 000 crore in 2004-05 to` 109, 000 crore ($24 billion) by 2010.

Growth of Indian Retail

According to the 8th Annual Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) of AT Kearney, India retail industry is the most promising emerging market for investment. In 2007, the retail trade in India had a share of 8-10% in the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the country. In 2009, it rose to 12%. It is also expected to reach 22% by 2010. According to a report by Northbride Capita, the India retail industry is expected to grow to US$ 700 billion by 2010. By

the same time, the organized sector will be 20% of the total market share. It can be mentioned here that, the share of organized sector in 2007 was 7.5% of the total retail market.

Characteristics of Retail Industry

Retail Industry: Small to huge store The spectrum of Retail Industry is quite wide in nature. Retail serves consumers through a small grocery store to a huge departmental store. Retail Industry is heavily dependent on consumer spending. In fact 2/3 of US GDP is coming from Retail business. Retail is the second largest industry in US. It has employed 23 Million people. During economic slow down consumer spending decreases and it poses threat to the Retail industry. Consumers confidence is one of the key drivers of the industry. Decline in Small Stores It is observed that small independently owned stores are gradually loosing their foothold in the market place. These stores are generally called Mom and Pop stores and they offer limited merchandise to the consumer. These store are facing stiff competition from the large departmental stores or superstores and in this process they are closing down their shutters. In many locations the arrival of a superstore has forced nearby independents out of business. In the book selling business Barnes & Noble superstore or Borders Books and music usually puts smaller bookstores out of business. This is a major characteristic prevailing worldwide. But it is also true that many small independent outlets still thrive by knowing their customers better and providing them with more personalized service. Internet and E-Commerce Internet, the ubiquitous medium has opened a new avenue in front of the Retailers. It has offered an opportunity to the consumers to shop from the home. As it stands today overall Retail sales through internet may not be that significant but gradually it is gaining popularity amongst consumers. Amazon.com is successful in this E-commerce domain. Repositioning of Departmental Stores The appeal of big departmental store is in the wane and they are trying to reposition themselves. They are repositioning their product lines to survive in this highly competitive market.For example, A departmental stores which is supplying general merchandise to the consumer is changing themselves to a giant apparel store. Rise in Discount stores Supremacy of Discount store is also one of the distinct characteristics of Retail Industry today. Discount stores offer money back guarantee, every day low price etc. to lure customers. They also provide floor help and easy access to the merchandise to facilitate the consumer. Wal-Mart the worlds largest Retailer comes under this category of Retail store. Category Killers

There are Retailers who actually concentrate on one particular product category and grab a lions share of that market and outperform their competitors. They are called Category Killers. Toys R Us (Toy market), Home Depot (Home Improvement), Staples (Office Supplies) are the examples of such Retailers who have grabbed a major market share in that product category and they have forced a reduction in the number of players in that product segment. This is also a distinct trend observed in the current Retail market. Ten years back there were number of players in the toy market and no one was controlling more than 5% of market share but now the number of players has come down to six and Toys R Us is enjoying 20% market share. Direct Marketing With the advancement of technology, Retailers have found another sales channel through which they can reach the consumer and this is known as direct marketing. Direct marketing has their root in direct mail and catalog marketing (Lands End and LL Bean). It includes telemarketing, television direct response marketing (Home shopping network, QVC). Although an overwhelming majority of goods and services is sold through stores and non store which indicates Retailing is growing at a faster rate. Direct selling worth about $9 Billion industry with around 600 companies selling door to door. Avon, Electrolux, Southwestern company, Tupperware and Mary key cosmetics are the examples who have adopted this strategy successfully. Demographic Changes Retail industry is impacted by the demographic changes. As a result of this change taste of the consumer is undergoing a change and it creates a demand for certain products. World wide Retailers are keeping a close watch on this change and they are trying to realign themselves with this change. Mergers and Acquisitions Retailers who want to dominate the market place have adopted the strategy of mergers and acquisitions. This is also one of the distinct trends in Global Retail Industry today. Instead of achieving an organic growth Retailers can grow significantly with the help of mergers and acquisitions. This helps them to occupy more shelf space in the market place. As the volume increases they are establishing better control over their suppliers and they are reducing the procurement cost and in that way they are boosting their profitability. This is driven by the economic growth factors, size, revenue pattern and the customer demand. Sears and Lands End merger is one of the significant mergers which has happened in recent times. Another important example would be Nikes acquisition of Hurley, a well known surfing brand. This has helped Nike to enter in to a new market segment.

Retail Formats
The following kinds of retail formats are found in India:

Mom-and-pop stores: These are generally family-owned businesses catering to small sections of society. They are
small, individually run and handled retail outlets. Category killers: Small specialty stores have expanded to offer a range of categories. They have widened their vision in terms of the number of categories. They are called category killers as they specialize in their fields, such as electronics (Best Buy) and sporting goods (Sport Authority). Department stores: These are the general merchandise retailers offering various kinds of quality products and

services.

These do not offer full service category products and some carry a selective product line. K Raheja's Shoppers Stop is a good example of department stores. Other examples are Lifestyle and Westside. These stores have further categories, such as home and dcor, clothing, groceries, toys, etc.

Malls: These are the largest form of retail formats. They provide an ideal shopping experience by providing a mix of all
kinds of products and services, food and entertainment under one roof. Examples are Sahara Mall, TDI Mall in Delhi.

Specialty Stores: The retail chains, which deal in specific categories and provide deep assortment in them are specialty
stores. Examples are RPG's Music World, Mumbai's bookstore Crossword, etc.

Discount stores: These are the stores or factory outlets that provide discount on the MRP items. They focus on mass
selling and reaching economies of scale or selling the stock left after the season is over. Hypermarkets/ Supermarkets: These are generally large self-service outlets, offering a variety of categories with deep assortments. These stores contribute 30% of all food and grocery organized retail sales. Example: Big Bazaar. Convenience stores: They are comparatively smaller stores located near residential areas. They are open for an extended period of the day and have a limited variety of stock and convenience products. Prices are slightly higher due to the convenience given to the customers. E-tailers: These are retailers that provide online facility of buying and selling products and services via Internet. They provide a picture and description of the product. A lot of such retailers are booming in the industry, as this method provides convenience and a wide variety for customer. But it does not provide a feel of the product and is sometimes not authentic. Examples are Amazon.com, Ebay.com, etc. Vending: This kind of retailing is making incursions into the industry. Smaller products such as beverages, snacks are some the items that can be bought through vending machines. At present, it is not very common in India.

Challenges Faced By The Industry

Even though India has well over 5 million retail outlets of different sizes and styles, it still has a long way to go before it can truly have a retail industry at par with International standards. This is where Indian companies and International brands have a huge role to play.

Indian retailing is still dominated by the unorganized sector and there is still a lack of efficient supply chain management. India must concentrate on improving the supply chain management, which in turn would bring down inventory cost, which can then be passed on to the consumer in the form of low pricing.

Most of the retail outlets in India have outlets that are less than 500 square feet in area. This is very small by International Standards. India's huge size and socio economic and cultural diversity means there is no established model or consumption pattern throughout the country. Manufacturers and retailers will have to devise strategies for different sectors and segments which by itself would be challenging.

The drawbacks provide a huge opportunity for the retail industry. The entry of foreign majors like Benetton, Dairy Farm and Levis underline the opportunity for the industry in India.