(Based on a presentation at the CII National Retail Summit, Mumbai, November 2006) View the PDF of the handout by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page. Some years ago, a very lively and friendly conversation that I was having came to a dead stop when the other person got to know that I worked with the retail sector. Her attitude towards me immediately underwent a dramatic change. From a normal human being, I suddenly became comparable to the "lowest of the low" on the planet. I was instantly accused of being "one of those who promote…
CONTINUE READING
If we consider the hierarchy of economic development and subsequent impact, progressively we see: • Subsistence farming giving way to modern farming • Cottage industry developing into larger scale manufacturing • Small towns and poor villages transforming into a vibrant and balanced urban and rural Mix • Fragmented retail businesses growing into modern retailing, and • Generic merchandise paving the path for brand development In this evolution tangible values give way to intangible values that are much greater in magnitude with the inflexion point coming when the transition to modern retail happens. The reverse impact of modern retail on those…
CONTINUE READING
Normal human tendency is to label what one doesn’t understand. And so we call the younger members of society by various names – youth, teens etc. By putting them into categories of age, we claim complete understanding of what they are, what moves them, and what they want, in effect adopting convenient disguise for the fact that we actually don’t have a clue. My personal favourite term is “tweens”. In my dictionary, tweens are that magical, difficult, weird age somewhere in the region of 10-16 years, give or take a couple of years, when one is not quite an adult…
CONTINUE READING
From: www.just-style.com, 31 October 2006 Benetton brand Sisley has entered the Indian market with a store in capital New Delhi. The store, which is almost 400-sq-m big, contains Sisley women's and men's clothing collections plus accessories ranges. Speaking at the official opening of the store, Benetton Group chairman Luciano Benetton said: "The launch of our trendsetting label in India strengthens Benetton's presence on a market that is strategic for us, and with which relations are becoming increasingly strong and profitable. "The expansion plan includes not only the opening of new stores in Delhi, but also the exporting of this experience…
CONTINUE READING
By Devangshu Dutta (Column from The Economic Times - 31 October 2006) Normal human tendency is to label what one doesn’t understand. And so we call the younger members of society by various names – youth, teens etc. By putting them into categories of age, we claim complete understanding of what they are, what moves them, and what they want, in effect adopting convenient disguise for the fact that we actually don’t have a clue. My personal favourite term is “tweens”. In my dictionary, tweens are that magical, difficult, weird age somewhere in the region of 10-16 years, give or…
CONTINUE READING
