Abhilasha Ojha, Business Standard (The Strategist) New Delhi, August 5, 2013 There is a rule in business that if you are not growing, you may be dying. But grow too rapidly and you may still find yourself on the fast track to the business graveyard. That will happen if you are not alert or constantly looking out for the speed bumps that will come your way when you are riding on a highway at top speed. Typically, the growth challenges relate to outgrowing the infrastructure, losing talented people, stretching the human capital resources too thin, attracting new competitors and flagging…
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Nigam Prusty and Nandita Bose, Reuters New Delhi, August 2, 2013 India relaxed sourcing and investment rules for the retail sector on Thursday in a renewed attempt to attract foreign supermarket chains such as Wal-Mart Stores and Tesco. Foreign companies have been keen to enter India's $500 billion retail market since the country allowed foreign investment in its supermarket sector in September 2012 but ambiguity around entry rules has kept them away. The issue remains politically controversial because of worries that millions of small shopkeepers could go out of business and India has so far not received a single application…
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Raghavendra Kamath, Business Standard Mumbai, July 28, 2013 Reliance Digital, the consumer durables and infotech (CDIT) retail chain of Reliance Industries, is becoming a challenger to Croma, run by Tata Sons-owned Infinity Retail. Though Croma is the "first large specialist retail chain for electronics and durables" (as it calls itself) for electronics and durables with its Croma mega stores, small version Zip stores, kiosks and online vertical www.cromaretail.com, Reliance Digital seems to be doing everything to catch up with the pioneer. While Croma, which set up its first store in 2006 in Mumbai, has 90 stores, Reliance Digital, which debuted…
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Anshul Dhamija, The Times of India Bangalore, July 22, 2013 International retail brands will increase prices in the upcoming Autumn-Winter season, with the rupee depreciation having raised costs for them. The rupee has depreciated by 12% against the dollar since February. The new season for shoppers, which would begin in the second week of August, is expected to see most international brands raise prices by at least 10%. German sports lifestyle brand Puma has seen costs escalate by 30% since January this year. "So far, we haven't passed on the burden to consumers, but this Autumn-Winter season we will increase…
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Farah Bookwala, CNBC-TV18 / Moneycontrol.com Mumbai, July 17, 2013 The government is making yet another push to attract FDI in retail. The Prime Minister on Tuesday relaxed norms by allowing 49 percent FDI in single-brand retail under the automatic route. While this may improve sentiment in an industry marred by regulatory hurdles, CNBC-TV18's Farah Bookwala reports that analysts call for measures more powerful than the hike in FDI limits to boost overseas retail investment. The government may have eased single-brand FDI norms on Tuesday, but not too many are left impressed. Prior to the Prime Minister's meeting held on Tuesday…
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