EXPERT VIEWS

A Model to Turn a New Leaf in Indian Retailing
A metaphor close enough to describe the dynamism of the Indian retail sector would be that of the Big Bang theory. Triggered by giant collision'.

Chris LeTourneur, president & CEO, MXD, at ISCF'08
Retailing in India can learn from the lessons of neighbouring markets, which are becoming global staging grounds for next-generation concepts in shopping centre formats - the 'dreamscape'.

Anuj Puri: Budget will accrue trickle-down positive effects for real estate
The Budget has not given much direct attention to the needs of the real estate sector, except in peripheral ways. While the focus on upliftment of the common man is definitely positive, it would seem that a general waking-up to the sector’s potential

The politics of organised retail will be short-lived
The time for retailing in India, as an organised industry, has arrived. Indian retail should be granted industry status immediately. There need not be any second thoughts or guesses on this.

Retail: A barometer of urban health
During India 's misplaced years post-Independence, business and commercial activity was treated as a 'necessary evil'. Businessmen were labelled as rapacious, self-interested people who needed to be kept under strict control.

Private labels in India
Private labels are products that are manufactured by the retailer itself, rather than a manufacturer who generally markets them through separate retailers. As is evident, private labels are mostly prevalent in organised retail.

Generational Synergy
Ironic consumption The convergence of two consumer groups, Gen Y and Baby Boomers (which came two generations before them), lend a unique spin on generational marketing.

Advertising by retail outlets on TV and print: An AdEx report
AdEx India, a division of TAM Media Research, have generated their report on the advertising trends of retail sector on television. This indicates that advertising by retail industry registered a rise of 12 per cent on TV during January-May 2007.

Redefining Luxury: Beyond Badges
Luxury badges don't mean a thing to Gen Y. Their appetite for the next best thing is voracious. Unlike baby boomers who could cozy up to a luxury brand, Gen Yers don't want to stay on the same topic.

Pointers from "Indian Wallet & Brand Share" report
The Wallet & Brand Share report is a macro view of the spending shares of adults (25-50 years) and youth (16-24 years) among the top 2.3 per cent of urban India households. It is meant to provoke and trigger thoughts that can develop into consumer insights

The Rules of Consumption
During her advertising career Chadha held senior strategic planning positions, and led the thinking on global brands such as HSBC, American Express, British Airways, Glaxo SmithKline, and Mandarin Oriental. She has, over the years

Isabella Blow: No more eccentric than is needed
It has been an exciting, colourful and interesting journey that offers something new and unconventional at every step. The Eighties were an exciting period in western fashion, especially in New York. It was style at its ultimate best...

The Enigma of Ethnic Expectations
Thanks to tremendous growth in the Indian retail sector, only now are variations between the major markets finally being measured. A recent RNCOS report went so far as to conclude that cultural and regional differences between markets are the single biggest challenge facing retailers today...

Analysis of advertising in fashion industry during January-October 2006
Highlights:
. TV and radio medium saw huge rise in ad volumes of cosmetics in Jan-Oct 06 over Jan-Oct 05, whereas hosiery had the maximum rise in print
. In TV, except for men's accessories with ads on Hindi GECs only...

It's All in the Details Barbara Wold
Walt Disney once said, “There's no magic to magic, it's all in the details.” How right he was. He understood what it took to create the magic – hundreds of small, seemingly insignificant details repeated perfectly

Sustainability key theme for retailers, states latest IGD report
The sky is the limit for retailers that respond to sustainability issues and those bold enough to experiment with new formats and strike into emerging markets, according to the latest Global Retail Innovation...

Ouch! Government's Work is God's Work!
Right at the top, beneath the cornice of the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state governance in Karnataka, rests the motto engraved in gold: “Government's Work is God's work!” If that were to be true, every politician and bureaucrat ....

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD India on union budget 2007-08 The budget presented by the Union finance minister on February 28, 2007, comes across as a mixed bag for both developers and investors. Infrastructure industry...

TEXTILES INTELLIGENCE - Sourcing Apparel from the Indian Subcontinent: An Alternative to China?
With Chinese exports once more restricted by quotas, buyers in the European Union and the United States are turning to the South Asian countries of Bangladesh , India , Pakistan ...

Insights into Consumer Behaviour -- Dr. Samir Parikh, Psychiatrist
Q. Would you liken shopping to chocolate, in that both are a ‘High'? Dr. Parikh: This varies from person to person; the basic fact is based on the interest and choices of an individual. Acquiring something you want gives satisfaction and pleasure.

Let's Get Visible, Aggresive and Ruthless, Demands Biyani Some pointers:

There is a distinct category shift taking place
Mobile and music players are taking the ‘fashion' space
Apparel is getting replaced by mobiles as ‘status' and ‘coolness'
In less than 10 years, mobile industry equals fashion