Shop talk
So Tesco, the retail chain, is striking a deal to enter India. It wasn't so long ago that ET was reporting on the change in retail. The corporatisation of retail with Shopper's Stop, Lifestyle and Foodworld, and the change in the shop-front formats (from closed to U shaped) of the neighbourhood grocery.
Then, I could hardly wait for the chota-mota shops that littered Colaba Causeway to be replaced by big malls. I can still remember the excitement of the opening of TOI's music store, Planet M, and Crossroads, the Biiig mall at Haji Ali, in Mumbai. Such was the latter's popularity that there was a cellphone restriction -- you had to have a cellphone to enter Crossroads free, or else buy an entry ticket!
It seemed like we were witnessing the beginning of the transformation of Indian retail. I loved the giant stores and malls. They were exciting and cool. I would hang out with friends, wander along the well-dressed interiors, browse through the merchandise, eventually pick up a thing or two and finish off with a snack or meal.
In my first year in Swansea, I missed my weekly fix of Lifestyle so much that I actually dreamt I was visiting the place! My trips to Swansea's Quadrant which houses Debenhams, Boots, Body Shop, etc, and to Fforestfach, which has M&S, Borders, Outfit, Next and Tesco here were infrequent because I couldn't (for obvious reasons) just hail an auto or taxi on a whim like I would in Hyd or B'bay and hit the stores. Oh did I mention that the shops shut at 5.00pm - 6.00pm on weekdays and at 4.00 pm on Sunday?
Anyway, when I did shop it was with difficulty, mainly because of the plentiful choice. I remember taking forever to pick out cereal in Tesco because there was so many different types. Then, I noticed that the locals would protest hugely if they heard that Tesco or Asda were eyeing a site in the neighbourhood. And found that A was very particular about giving business to local shops to encourage local enterprise.
I didn't understand this at all. Why shouldn't the big stores prevail? Competition is good for the consumer--more choice, good quality, low price. That's the line we are fed in India. I remember using it in one of my articles in BE. Then I bought a fluted white shirt with some pink embroidery. And saw it on two other women on campus the very next day. So much for choice. And that's not all, the highstreets of most towns blare the very same brandnames and no others. So that, you can drive from one market to the next and see exactly the same shops.
Imagine that happening in India: Only Lifestyles and Foodworlds and Qmarts and Baristas and no local grocer, or boutique. No difference between the markets of B'bay, Delhi or Hyd. Perhaps, only Gariahat in Cal will survive. I don't know about you, but I don't think Tesco entering India is such a good idea after all.
Then, I could hardly wait for the chota-mota shops that littered Colaba Causeway to be replaced by big malls. I can still remember the excitement of the opening of TOI's music store, Planet M, and Crossroads, the Biiig mall at Haji Ali, in Mumbai. Such was the latter's popularity that there was a cellphone restriction -- you had to have a cellphone to enter Crossroads free, or else buy an entry ticket!
It seemed like we were witnessing the beginning of the transformation of Indian retail. I loved the giant stores and malls. They were exciting and cool. I would hang out with friends, wander along the well-dressed interiors, browse through the merchandise, eventually pick up a thing or two and finish off with a snack or meal.
In my first year in Swansea, I missed my weekly fix of Lifestyle so much that I actually dreamt I was visiting the place! My trips to Swansea's Quadrant which houses Debenhams, Boots, Body Shop, etc, and to Fforestfach, which has M&S, Borders, Outfit, Next and Tesco here were infrequent because I couldn't (for obvious reasons) just hail an auto or taxi on a whim like I would in Hyd or B'bay and hit the stores. Oh did I mention that the shops shut at 5.00pm - 6.00pm on weekdays and at 4.00 pm on Sunday?
Anyway, when I did shop it was with difficulty, mainly because of the plentiful choice. I remember taking forever to pick out cereal in Tesco because there was so many different types. Then, I noticed that the locals would protest hugely if they heard that Tesco or Asda were eyeing a site in the neighbourhood. And found that A was very particular about giving business to local shops to encourage local enterprise.
I didn't understand this at all. Why shouldn't the big stores prevail? Competition is good for the consumer--more choice, good quality, low price. That's the line we are fed in India. I remember using it in one of my articles in BE. Then I bought a fluted white shirt with some pink embroidery. And saw it on two other women on campus the very next day. So much for choice. And that's not all, the highstreets of most towns blare the very same brandnames and no others. So that, you can drive from one market to the next and see exactly the same shops.
Imagine that happening in India: Only Lifestyles and Foodworlds and Qmarts and Baristas and no local grocer, or boutique. No difference between the markets of B'bay, Delhi or Hyd. Perhaps, only Gariahat in Cal will survive. I don't know about you, but I don't think Tesco entering India is such a good idea after all.
posted by Sabiha | 12:41 PM
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