Retail, roadblocks
Walmart has managed to enter Indian retail market in a tie up with Bharati.
I count this as a good news, though I am not sure how successful WalMart will be in India beyond upper middle class market in big cities.
Sabnis makes a relevant point, which is unless Walmart changes its strategy drastically, it will not cause much of a upheaval and the real competition is with emerging Indian retail chains.
As expected there have been criticism by assorted communists and socialists, but to me the interesting (and somewhat amusing) aspect is the anecdotal evidence that quite a few Indians of my generation are also not entirely comfortable with the idea.
The ostensible reasons are various, but I think the problem is that of view point or if you prefer Weltanschauung. Indoctrinated since childhood by socialist mantra, egalitarianism through sorcery of Keynesian kind is, in the subconscious at least, starting point for judgement.
Since sorcery is exactly that, a neat solution is to categorize wealth acquisition and generation as something which is indecent to mention in polite society. That as a culture Indians love to display opulence conflicts with our socialist mores, and therein breeds hypocrisy, which is the real roadblock.
8 comments:
Gaurav
as expected a well-written touch over the issue. my recent interactions with Indian families as shoppers do reflect:
@those familiar kirana stores or newer rendition of the same "Mom-Pop stores" would continue to be the favourites or at least a bulk of the regular needs would still be bought from them. let's not forget that the Shruti kirana stores has changed its way of running business - now we have Shruti kirana store has a line extension Shruti Departmental stores, where woman/with her child armed wth pester power or her husband tagged alng with a painful expression (giggles), can browse through the shelves..
@unlike families abroad who stock for a week or 15 days, most Indians buy fresher stock - fresh vegetables, mid skus (stock keeping units)...for regular consumption. yes, essentials like staples,oil, personal care, fabric wash etc etc are bought during the monthly basket shoppin
@broadly "Essetials", "Emergencies" and "Regulars"...this is the way a typical homemaker runs her budget
@Spencer kind of retail formats are visited as part of their outings, weekend getaways (most middle class families)..they love to walk around, feel the products, buy a few...bt its more of an induglence!an experience.not much of shopping
@yes, working women like me love to splurge around in Spencer, and mull over exotic stuff, buy them but not use them! Spencer kind of retailing are still perceived to be "expensive","not for me" by most middle class homemakers who are budget conscious & value for money seekers
@when my local departmental store is providing me fresh products, a wide range of choices (need not be widest),d-delivery, credit...more important the familiarity aspect (we Indians are confort bodies), why should I shop at...Spencer etc a big barrier
@yes box-formats like Big Baazar are successful..but this is again an occasional shopping, once a week,and most Indians love to hunt for bargains. Not everyday shopping as they are not in her neighbourhood.
@Shopentertainment Vs Shopping - that's the difference
@Subhiksha is setting up a chain of discount stores in one's neighbourhood, while also prviding everyday discounts on their prodct range.
Wal-Mart certainly is going to have a tough battle...it's al about changing the mindset
Jyo,
Brilliantly put,
though I am surprised you didnt write in free verse :-)
Regards
Gaurav
I still wonder why people mock n jeer at expression...!
Jyo
Jyo,
Hang 'em mockers and jeerers I say ;-)
umm, my little head at my client place thinking ....for a change!
what's the probability of finding Gaurav in that ocean of humanity- mockers and jeerers ...um! then what happens to that "hanging" bit! haha
Jyo
do you know my personal id?
Jyo,
Me mocker and jeerer !
On the contrary I am just a "Hot dog, let’s play games. You catch me and I catch you; no love can cut our knife in two" ;-)
umm,
long long time ago, there was a game...invented behind a fragile veil *haha*..cryptic, ripened with dreary words, with no middle-stations, the train of words chugged away through the fields of sugarcane, leaving the audience dry n thirsty for more...no please, i dnot want a pesticide (CSD, carbonated soft drink!)
then the boy (one of the story teller) surrendered...ok, dnot u get furious!silence prevailed suddenly..yea, one fine day, the lost thread would be lifted again,a possibility of its regaining a momentum hangs loose from the branches of banyan tree..gosh, now we are entering the Ghost world!
...no love can cut our knife in two" ;-) this is interesting..my little head needs to stretch over ths...till then, enjoy this
http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/long101.html
Jyo
Jyo
Threads are ghosts of internet with a rather sullen liveliness
Sometimes surfing web seems like random walk among the dead
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