Retail Insight on 8th July 2009

News


Pantaloon to raise up to Rs 1k crore
Business Standard
Pantaloon Retail, the country's largest retailer, today said it plans to raise as much as Rs 1000 crore by selling shares to investors through the qualified institutional placement (QIP) route.



Retailers divided over tax sops on cold chains
Business Standard
While some like RPG's Spencer's and Wadhawan group's Spinach say it will encourage them to invest more in cold chains, others such as Aditya Birla Retail and Future Group said the announcement has come too late and helps fresh produce and chilled product suppliers more than retailers.


C&J Clarks set to re-enter Indian market
Moneycontrol.com
The company officials told us that they have been meeting and have held talks with Future Group, Reliance Retail, the Tata Group and also Shoppers Stop, but nothing has been finalized as of now.


Now, drive through at McDonald's
mydigitalfc.com
Fast food chain McDonald's is leveraging its new concept of drive-in restaurants to increase footfalls, while its happy-price menu has helped it grow during financially difficult times.


Retail Trends

New-age farmers say no to middlemen, yes to profits
Livemint
Every Saturday, S. Sekhar, a 69-year-old paints businessman-turned-organic farmer, travels in his sports utility vehicle up to 100km out of Chennai to pick bundles of spinach and other greens from his two plots. On Sundays, his son S. Shyam takes the produce to Chennai's Besant Nagar beach in his car and, from the parking lot, sells the greens directly to joggers and early walkers.


Retail Insight

Retail perspectives: Maximize the "return on customer"
IBM
The retail environment is fragmenting. Consumers want personalized shopping experiences. That means more stores, more channels, more choice - and an increasingly segmented customer base. How to maintain market share and a competitive advantage? Retailers have to focus on customers because they are their most valuable resource, says business guru Martha Rogers. Of their brand, employees, products, and customers, only customers bring in revenue.