Vidhi Choudhary, MINT (A Wall Street Journal Partner) New Delhi , September 11, 2012 Ben and Jerry’s Homemade Inc. signature ice cream flavours may soon be available in India. The unit of the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods maker Unilever Plc.—it took over the US company in 2000—is planning to enter the Indian market within six months, three food and beverage industry experts familiar with the company’s plan said. If it happens, Ben & Jerry’s will join other food and beverage chains such as Starbucks Coffee Co. and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts that aim to expand in India, where an economy that’s growing,…
CONTINUE READING
Priyanka Pani, The Hindu Businessline Mumbai, August 31, 2012 Even as brands and apparel retailers appear to have had a prolonged bumper sale against the backdrop of a general slowdown, festive season sales have got the short end of the stick. ‘Sale’ season in the country started around end-May, but was extended by eight weeks. For instance, Shoppers Stop is are still busy luring ‘shopaholics’ to stores with flat 51 per cent discount. “What typically used to be a month-long phenomenon has become a 3-month affair now. Shoppers are trying to extract the maximum benefit out of these sales. The…
CONTINUE READING
Meghna Maiti, Financial Chronicle Mumbai, August 30, 2012 For the first time in a quarter century, rural India outdid urban consumption in the past two years, according to a Crisil study. Rural spending rode on a big increase in incomes, mainly resulting from non-farm jobs and rural employment guarantee schemes. A young population, rising incomes and low penetration of many consumer durables mean that rural consumption has the potential to remain an important source of demand, the study says. But to sustain this, says the study, it is critical to substitute short-term income boosters such as government-sponsored employment schemes with…
CONTINUE READING
Raghavendra Kamath & Vinay Umarji, Business Standard Mumbai/Ahmedabad Aug 29, 2012 Stung by a consumption slowdown and cut-throat competition from other quick-service chains, Big Mac is trying hard to give customers more reasons to come to its stores. So its latest India menu now comprises a differential pricing strategy and better in-store experience. While Vikram Bakshi’s Connaught Plaza Restaurants, which has a joint venture with McDonald’s and has rights for the north and east, cut prices by 6-15 per cent from August 1 to boost sales, Hardcastle Restaurants, a development licensee of McDonald’s which runs West and South India operations,…
CONTINUE READING
Priyanka Golikeri & Nupur Anand, Daily News & Analysis (DNA) Bangalore, 22 August 2012 Now, macroeconomic woes are impacting even quick service restaurants (QSRs), the 150-3,000 square feet neighbourhood dine-in / takeaway food joints that serve up your pizzas, burgers and rolls. For, the slowdown, it has been found, is changing consumer behaviour and their eating patterns: footfalls are lower and bill sizes smaller. From 350-500 people per day, QSRs are seeing a 10-15% drop in footfalls, said a senior official from a pizza-pasta chain. Moreover, from two to three visits per week, the frequency of customer visits has dropped…
CONTINUE READING
