India′s Store Wars: Retail Revolution and the Battle for the Next 500 Million Shoppers - Softcover

Hiscock, Geoff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0470823518 ISBN 13: 9780470823514

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2008

Synopsis

As India′s middle class grows and disposable incomes rise, "modern" retail is becoming the next hot sector of the Indian economy. Hundreds of millions of new consumers will join this retail revolution, venturing into supermarkets, department stores and air–conditioned shopping malls for the first time. But instead of just window shopping, many of them will be serious buyers with money to spend. To cater for their needs, established players in the modern retail sector such as Biyani, Raheja and Goenka are being joined by the big names of Indian business – Reliance, Birla, Bharti, Tata etc – who plan to spend billions over the next few years rolling out supermarkets, big–box outlets and specialty stores. At the same time, property developers are getting on with the "malling" of India, and looking for high profile anchor tenants to lure customers. On the sidelines of this Indian retail revolution are big overseas players such as Wal–Mart, which already has a tie–up with Bharti to provide much–needed “back office” support. But what Wal–Mart really wants is the right to set up its own stores in India. The same goes for Tesco, Carrefour, Metro and other international players. While the macro outlook appears bright, the problems are astronomical for India retail industry. There is no reliable cold chain, transport logistics are appalling, there is a huge lack of managerial talent, there is no consistency for quality and quantity of supply, there is political opposition from groups such as market middlemen, the mom and pop "kirana" corner stores have to be catered for, as do the farmers who grow the produce that is integral to a successful retail revolution. How well will these disparate players cope with the various pressures of a dynamic and fast–moving industry?

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Geoff′s book is a cogent, clear and comprehensive survey of this rapidly emerging new sector of the Indian economy. Based on the large amount of research now available on the sector, supported by interviews with the leading practitioners, this book is a welcome handbook on the retailing revolution in India. – Alan Rosling , Executive Director, Tata Sons Limited Geoff Hiscock′s book is a comprehensive and detailed analysis of he retail industry in India. The challenges he identifies are well–researched and include diverse topics such as infrastructure, supply chain, human resources, land, product supply base as well as the vast diversity of Indian consumers. It also highlights the huge potential for the industry (provided strong economic growth is sustained) for both the nascent organized retail and the existing unorganized sectors. It is imperative that both grow side by side and remain complementary. – Colette Mathur , Co–President, EuroIndia Centre President, India invest S.A. Geoffrey Hiscock′s book should be mandatory reading for anyone trying to understand one of the next big frontiers in India′s business landscape – Professor Sree Sreenivasan , Co–founder SAJA, South Asian Journalist Association and Dean of Student Affairs, Columbia Journalism School India′s Store Wars is a fascinating and upbeat story of the emerging Retail Revolution in India. Geoff Hiscock is a master story teller about India′s transitions from unorganized to organized retailing. – Jagdish N. Sheth, Ph.D ., Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing, Goizueta Business School, Emory University, Author, Chindia Rising: How China and India Can benefit our Business

About the Author:

Geoff Hiscock has been writing about Asian business for more than 30 years from bases in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok and Sydney. He is the author of India′s Global Wealth Club (2007), which documents India′s 21st century resurgence and profiles the richest Indian tycoons around the world. He also wrote the hugely successful Asia′s Wealth club (1997) and its follow–up, Asia′s New Wealth Club (2000), the key books which first brought many of the region′s billionaires to the attention of an international audience. he served as Sydney bureau chief and Asia Business Editor for CNN.com Asia Pacific from 2001–2006, and as International Business Editor of The Australian daily newspaper from 1995–2000.

About this edition

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0470823518
• ISBN 13: 9780470823514
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 218