The transition between calendar years offers a pause. We can use it to evaluate what passed in the previous year, chalk out our journey for the next one. The first response of most people to the question “What happened in the Indian retail sector in 2011” would be probably something like this: lots happened, and then – at the end – nothing did! That is because one theme ran through the entire year, month after month, fuelled by tremendous interest in the mainstream media as well. This was about the change expected, hoped for, in the policy governing foreign direct…
Writankar Mukherjee & Sreeradha D Basu, The Economic Times Kolkata,January 4, 2012 India's leading retail chains such as Future Group, Reliance Retail, Shoppers Stop, Style Spa and Woodland are advancing their annual discounts by up to three weeks facing a huge slump in sales since Diwali. Most of the retailers have recorded up to 30% slump in sales in the November-December period, except in some geographies like the North where categories like winter wear has been a saving grace. The categories which are hit the most are apparel where prices have gone up by 10-15% this year due to excise…
Sharleen D'Souza & Raghavendra Kamath, Business Standard Mumbai, January 4, 2012 Hit by a sharp slowdown in sales, apparel brands and retailers are either extending their end-of-the-season sales or sometimes advancing it by weeks to clear their inventory and free up cash. While French menswear retailer Celio, which has a joint venture with Future group, is on a sale for almost one-and-a-half months till February 14, UK-based brand French Connection is having its year-end sale till March. Normally, these brands have their end-of-the-season for a month. If Celio and French Connection have extended their sale, German brand Esprit not only…
CR Sukumar, ET Bureau, The Economic Times Hyderabad, January 2, 2012 The Andhra Pradesh government is drawing up plans to open swanky supermarkets, venturing into the multi-brand retail territory that multinational retailers such as Walmart and Tesco are desperate to enter but forbidden from doing so. It is also seeking partnerships with the wholesale units of Germany's Metro AG and Walmart, a minister said, to create a hybrid retail model that combines the best attributes of the public and private sectors. The first store will open by the end of March in an upmarket area in Andhra Pradesh's capital Hyderabad.…
Shailaja Sharma & Ashish K Tiwari, Daily News and Analysis Mumbai, December 28, 2011 2012 will be the year of moderation in consumer spending across durable, consumer goods and apparel, as industry experts foresee an unfavourable sentiment gripping consumers, which could make companies cautious in their growth talk. “2012 will be a tough year,” says Dr Y V Verma, president, Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers’ Association (CEAMA), and chief operating officer, LG Electronics India. “It will be challenging on account of several factors — economy, slowing industry growth, currency fluctuation, inflation that has gone up again. And it would be…
Geopolitical friction has again sparked renewed concerns over inflation and rising input costs for FMCG companies as @itmeansjustice @whysnavi write. @devangshu commented.
