By Rasul Bailay MINT (Exclusive Partner The Wall Street Journal) NEW DELHI, 11 August 2008 As costs rise and economic growth slows, Indian retailers are looking at ways to trim expenses and protect their profits.Pantaloon India Ltd, the country’s largest listed retailer, has begun integrating the management, marketing, human resources, or HR, and information technology, or IT, departments of its units into one. The company says this one step will help it save around Rs. 165 crore (Rs. 1.65 billion) a year.“It is only cost and efficiency that we are focusing on now,” said Kishore Biyani, managing director of Pantaloon.…
In early-June Big Bazaar (part of Future Group) was reported to have broken off its relationship with Cadbury’s. About 2-3 weeks later the two were reportedly back together. The alleged differences and the apparent solutions have been reported widely, as also the feeling that some issues remain unresolved. If that reads like something you would find in a celebrity tabloid, you’re probably right. The relationship between brands and large retailers is truly one of the “love-hate” kind. And this case is no different from many other such relationships in various markets around the world. In fact, the Future Group itself…
Geopolitical friction has again sparked renewed concerns over inflation and rising input costs for FMCG companies as @itmeansjustice @whysnavi write. @devangshu commented.
