Articles by Mark Stepen on ArticleSnatch.com

Shopping Malls Take a Beating in Organized Indian Retail

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:20:48 -0400

Shopping malls have mushroomed all over the major metros of India, spreading its tentacles far and wide, like the proverbial hydra. Gurgaon, Noida, and a few other satellite townships in the NCR (national capital region) of India’s capital city Delhi, have been standing witnesses and silent partners to this mall mania. Called as the ‘Shopping-mall capital of India’, Gurgaon has been a focal point of the this rising tide, with monolithic glass structures, colossal trade towers and a lot of glitzy skyscrapers manning the entire length and breadth of this erstwhile urban village. Many others have followed suit, as they jump into this bandwagon of a modern India, cashing in on the rising spending potential of the ‘great Indian middle class’. But, beneath the swanky and ritzy surface, away from all the hype, the underbelly of this modern mega polis tells a totally different story. Not everything is bright and sunny as it seems. Recent studies have shown that many retail players have jumped into the fray and joined the rat race without much ado, completely overriding and overlooking the necessary checks and balances, before they get into a business venture. **End Summary** Topics: Retail India]]> Indian Retail Industry]]> Retail companies in India]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising in India , Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas. Also, please visit our Retail Blog

Discount Coupons for Online Retail

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:53:07 -0400

At the face of a global economic slowdown, everyone is wary of loosening their rapidly diminishing purse strings. With bills for mortgages, rent, utility etc. looming around the corner, the budget for daily grocery and other primary necessities have taken a great hit. Consumers are at a fix, caught in the middle of a financial plight, unable to priorities the very little dough they have on hand. With pending bills up their neck, they have to start looking for ways and means to streamline the spending pattern to save every single penny they can. Discount coupons for day to day purchase of groceries and other household items can help in saving a few hundreds, if not thousands. So take some time out, and start hunting for retail discount coupons in order to provide for your family. Here are a few tips that can take you to in the right direction. Discount coupons for online retail generally comes in the forms of downloadable coupons, printable coupons and online coupon codes. **End Summary** Topics: online shopping in India]]> online retail]]> Retail India]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising in India , Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas. Also, please visit our Retail Blog

The Changing Face of the Indian Retail Consumer

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:01:53 -0400

The face of the Indian retail consumer has undergone total transformation. They have come a long way from those days of yore, before the liberalization of the Indian economy, when saving was the mantra, and anything that diverts away from it was frowned upon, and looked at with dismay. Globalization and the media have brought the world closer, opening doors to cultures, trends and lifestyle that were considered taboo, alien and unknown to them. And with the spiraling Indian economy, the behavioral pattern of the average Indian consumer has seen a sea change. Increasing disposable incomes, a favorable demography, the progressive growth in terms of working women and lifestyle changes with a high penetration of the media (that has brought the world closer to our lives) are the key drivers behind this spending spree of the nouveau global middle class Indian. As the salary package of skilled professionals rocket to a new high, with many perks and compensation coming in, the swelling double income middle class populace living in isolated nuclear families, have made the jump from ‘zero spending’ and ‘frugal living’ to one of ‘zero saving’ and ‘living life king size’. **End Summary** Topics: Retail India]]> Indian Retail Industry]]> organized retail]]> Indian retail consumer]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising in India , Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas. Also, please visit our Retail Blog

Innovative Retail formats in India

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:15:08 -0400

Innovation and creativity is the order of the day. Business houses, especially in the retail industry, have to be on their toes, keeping their eyes and ears open for any slight development in the market, to be in the reckoning. As competition hots up in different domains and verticals of the organized retail game, with the entry of leading international brands and many Indian retail giants consolidating and expanding with a vengeance, the Indian retail market is definitely not for the fainthearted. Retail companies have to start looking for innovative formats that can make them distinctive and unique - a cut above the rest. One of the latest retail formats making a grand entry in this game of guts and guile is ‘Wedding Malls’. An unheard of entity in the advanced global retail markets like the United States and Europe; it has become a big hit in India. These wedding malls stock a whole list of items and products that goes into any big fat Indian wedding, ranging from jewellery to apparels. Retailers are astutely combining the best of the global retail trends with the local flavors, keeping in mind the needs and preferences of the target consumers. **End Summary** Topics: Retail India]]> Indian Retail Industry]]> Successful retail]]> India retail sector]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising in India , Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas. Also, please visit our Retail Blog

Retail Opportunity across Metro Cities in India

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:45:43 -0400

India has some of the fastest growing metros in the world, making it a preferred destination for leading retail giants from across the globe. As the organized retail industry in India undergoes an unprecedented growth trajectory, buoyed by the strong economy, many Tier II and Tier III are on an ascending curve, making great strides, parallel to the development in the retail segment. India has an interesting mix of maturing metros, metros on the growth lane and metros in the making, providing ample space to retailers, who want to test the waters of an ocean that the Indian retail industry has become. Metros like Delhi and Mumbai are on the verge of maturation, almost at par with the leading metros in the world. With the highest number of households belonging to the most affluent segment of Indians living in these two metros, retailers of top-end luxury products are putting their money here. This segment contributes around 30 % of India’s total organized retail revenue. With an eye on this class, luxury retail brands are gradually moving out from the cozy confines of five-star hotels to the streets as stand-alone outlets. **End Summary** Topics: Retail India]]> Indian Retail Industry]]> Luxury Retail]]> Retail Verticals and Formats]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising in India , Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas. Also, please visit our Retail Blog .

The Right Mix for Seamless Distribution in Indian Retail

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:27:51 -0400

In retail business, distribution plays a key role, as it decides the where, how, whom and when for products to reach their ultimate destination. Manufacturers and retailers need a number of distribution models, channels and intermediaries at varying degrees of importance and priority, depending on the consumer, product or region. Retailers have to zero down on a right mix of distribution model and network that can enact the balancing act to the fullest, profiting everyone involved in the entire chain. There are no textbook solutions or standard procedure to facilitate a flawless distribution in the retail sector; however, the parties involved can give serious thought to essential general parameters that can help them move ahead in the right direction. Retailers have to plan more than one distribution model for different segments or regions. The supply chain network may vary according to the requirements of either the product or the consumer. A distribution structure that is perfect for home furnishing may turn out to be a failure when it is used for food and beverage category. Likewise, what works in Maharashtra might not have the same effect when it is implemented in Himachal Pradesh. **End Summary** Topics: Retail India]]> Indian Retail Industry]]> Retail market in India]]> Indian Retail companies]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising, Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas.

Ways to be a Winner in Indian Retail

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:33:24 -0400

The Indian organized retail market is getting crowded, with hordes of global retail majors making a beeline to establish a foothold in this vibrant industry. It’s a cut-throat competition, where only the fittest would survive. Retail companies need to constantly re-invent and re-package themselves with innovative business plans and strategies to be in the competition. Only out-of-the-box ideas, keeping up with the latest retail trends, would enable it to have a say in the dynamic Indian retail industry. Improving the supply chain management, with a profound understanding of the traditional and rural sector, would go a long way to help you become a winner in the Indian retail market. The mere availability of a product can be a positive factor in retailing. In a country like India, with myriads of problems regarding transport and communication, a robust and professional supply chain management can prove to be highly rewarding. Retailers should develop a well-oiled supply system and tactics that can override the prolonging issues like inadequate infrastructure, shifting distribution patterns, and shorter-time-to-market concerns. The future of retail India lies in its villages, as it accounts for 70% of the population and contributes almost half of the country’s GDP. **End Summary** Topics: Retail Industry In India]]> Rural retail in India.]]> Retail sector in India]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising, Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas.

Indian Luxury Retail Booming in the Midst of a Global Economic Slowdown

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:17:18 -0400

As they say, there are good and there are bad times; and well, these are bad times, as the government goes bonkers with its austerity drive, to show its solidarity to the farmer suicides, and the “aam admi” brigade jumping into the bandwagon without much ado, in the midst of a global economic recession. Yet, they say, the luxury retail sector in India is at an all time high; hey you got to be kidding! But, the fact and figures loudly say, the Indian luxury retail is booming, and that for once is a crystal clear truth. The Indian luxury retail market is the beacon of the future, with a number of international brands making their foray, eyeing it as the top destination for high-end goods. One definitely needs to wake up, re-think and go for a reality check to believe this, as it sounds too good to be true. Well, with the sky high salary the executives pull in, the typical Indian consumer behavior has undergone a complete turnaround. India is home to some of the richest men in the world, with the fastest growing high net worth individuals in the Asia-Pacific region living here. **End Summary** Topics: luxury retail]]> Retail India]]> Indian Retail Industry]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising, Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas.

Retail Entertainment Zones

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:19:28 -0400

As the organized retail juggernaut literally bulldozes its way towards market domination, a number of retail formats and categories are in the offing, ready to capitalize on the flourishing Indian market. Malls, hypermarkets and supermarkets have become familiar landscape to the average Indians, dotting the entire horizon of today"��s urban jungle. Retail economic zone (REZ) is the latest entrant to the India retail jargon. According to the Financial Chronicle, in the very near future Retail Entertainment Zones are going to be the next big thing in the Indian retail sector. REZs, as the name itself suggests, are on the lines of SEZs (Special Economic Zones) and IT parks, where multiple verticals and domains of business transactions are conducted in a single geographical location or zone. These entertainment zones for retail, spread around 100 acres each, would open avenues for hospitality, retail and entertainment companies to exist in a single zone with a capacity to generate business to the tune of around Rs 2000 crore annually. This retailing concept would entail the development of a specific area as an entertainment destination, where people can come to dine, shop, have fun and games and even stay, if they wish. **End Summary** Topics: Retail Entertainment zones. Retail India]]> Retail In India]]> Indian Retail]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mark Stepen is a Consultant with a wide range of experience in the Indian Retail Industry , specialized in Retail Brand Management, Supply Chain Management, Franchising, Visual Merchandising, Mall Management and other niche areas.