Finalmrp

Working Paper No. 222

Impact of Organized
Retailing on the
Unorganized Sector

Mathew Joseph
Nirupama Soundararajan
Manisha Gupta
Sanghamitra Sahu

September 2008

INDIAN COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH ON INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS
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Foreword

The retail sector is expanding and modernizing rapidly in line with India’s economic
growth. It offers significant employment opportunities in all urban areas. This study,
the second undertaken by ICRIER on the retail industry, attempts to rigorously
analyse the impact of organized retailing on different segments of the economy. No
distinction has been made between foreign and domestic players, in analyzing the
impact of the increasing trend of large corporates entering the retail trade in the
country. The findings of this study are based on the largest ever survey of
unorganized retailers (the so-called “mom and pop stores”), consumers, farmers,
intermediaries, manufacturers, and organized retailers. In addition, an extensive
review of international experience, particularly of emerging countries of relevance to
India, has also been carried out as part of the study.

The study estimates that the total retail business in India will grow at 13 per cent
annually from US$ 322 billion in 2006-07 to US$ 590 billion in 2011-12. The
unorganized retail sector is expected to grow at approximately 10 per cent per annum
with sales rising from US$ 309 billion in 2006-07 to US$ 496 billion. Organized
retail, which constituted a low four per cent of total retail in 2006-07, is estimated to
grow at 45-50 per cent per annum and attain a 16 per cent share of total retail by
2011-12. In short, both unorganized and organized retail are bound not only to coexist
but also achieve rapid and sustained growth in the coming years. This is clearly not a
case of a zero sum game as both organized and unorganized retail will see a massive
scaling up of their activities. In fact, the retail sector, left entirely in the unorganized
and informal segment of the economy, could well emerge as a major bottleneck to
raising productivity in both agriculture and industry.

One of the rather surprising findings of the study is that low-income consumers save
more than others through shopping at organized retail outlets. This is a result of
targeted discount shopping. It is also seen that farmers gain considerably from direct
sales to organized retailers, with significant price and profit advantages as compared
with selling either to intermediaries or to government regulated markets. Large
manufacturers have also started feeling the competitive impact of organized retail
through both price and payment pressures. Yet, they see the advantages from a more
efficient supply chain and logistics that accompany the growth of organized retail.

The extensive empirical evidence marshalled and analysed by ICRIER researchers
will hopefully provide a solid basis for policy in this sector. Based on the empirical
evidence and analysis that have been extensively peer reviewed, the study makes a
number of policy recommendations that have a bearing on both the unorganized and
organized segments of the retail sector. The two most important recommendations in
my view are: first, for the government to facilitate the emergence of a “private code of
conduct” for organized retailers in their transaction with small suppliers; and, second,
a simplification of the licensing and permit regime to promote the expansion of
organized retail.

I would like to express my appreciation to the Department of Industrial Promotion
and Policy (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, for

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giving ICRIER the opportunity to undertake this important study. I trust the effort of
the research team led by Mathew Joseph and comprising of Nirupama Soundararajan,
Manisha Gupta and Sanghamitra Sahu will receive due recognition. I would also like
to thank our collaborators, Dr. Thomas Reardon, Dr. Ashok Gulati of IFPRI,
Technopak Advisors Pvt. Ltd. and Development & Research Services for their
significant contribution to this effort. Finally, I hope that the study’s findings will
help policymakers in their task of promoting modernization of the retail sector while
maximizing its employment potential.

(Rajiv Kumar)
Director & Chief Executive

September 1, 2008

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Abstract

The retail business, in India, is estimated to grow at 13 per cent per annum from US$
322 billion in 2006-07 to US$ 590 billion in 2011-12. The unorganized retail sector is
expected to grow at about 10 per cent per annum from US$ 309 billion 2006-07 to
US$ 496 billion in 2011-12. Organized retail which now constitutes a small four per
cent of retail sector in 2006-07 is likely to grow at 45-50 per cent per annum and
quadruple its share of total retail trade to 16 per cent by 2011-12. The study, which
was based on the largest ever survey of all segments of the economy that could be
affected by the entry of large corporates in the retail business, has found that
unorganized retailers in the vicinity of organized retailers experienced a decline in
sales and profit in the initial years of the entry of organized retailers. The adverse
impact, however, weakens over time. The study has indicated how consumers and
farmers benefit from organized retailers. The study has also examined the impact on
intermediaries and manufacturers. The results are indicative of the mega-and-mini-
metro cities around a limited number of organized retail outlets. Based on the results
of the surveys, the study has made a number of specific policy recommendations for
regulating the interaction of large retailers with small suppliers and for strengthening
the competitive response of the unorganized retailers.

JEL Classification: L81, Q13
Keywords: Retail Sector, Organised Retail, Unorganised Retail, Kirana store, Food
Supply Chain

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Acknowledgements

ICRIER has received considerable help from a number of organizations and
individuals for completing this study.

We would like to thank our various partners of the study: Mr. Narasimha Rao and his
team at Development & Research Services Private Limited (DRS) for conducting the
all-India surveys; Dr. Thomas Reardon and Dr. Ashok Gulati, Co-Directors of the
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)-Michigan State University
(MSU) Joint Programme on Markets in Asia, for the chapter on international retail
experience and their help with the survey and analysis of the impact of organized
retail on farmers; and Mr. Arvind Singhal, Ms. Preeti Reddy, Mr. Akshay Chaturvedi
and their team at Technopak Advisers Private Limited, for their valuable inputs.

Besides the partners of the study, we would like to thank the different organized retail
companies, Metro Cash & Carry India, PricewaterhouseCoopers Private Limited,
New Delhi, and Retailers Association of India.

We would also like to thank Mr. Ashish Sanyal, Amp Retail Services; and Mr. Jayant
Kochar, Go Fish Retail Solutions for their valuable help.

Finally we also thank Ms. Sheela Bajaj for editing the report and Mr. Anil Kumar for
formatting the report.

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Abbreviations

Rs. Indian rupees. The conversion to US dollars is roughly Rs 40.00 to
US US$1.00
US$ Unless otherwise designated, this symbol refers to US Dollar

APMC Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee
APPSI The Association of Traditional Traders
B2B business-to-business
C&C cash-and-carry
C&F Agent carrying and forwarding agent
CA commission agent
CDIT consumer durables and information technology
CII Confederation of Indian Industry
CRISIL Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited
CSO Central Statistical Organization
CST central sales tax
CWS Co-operative Wholesale Society (UK)
DC distribution centre
DFI Dairy Farm International
DRS Development & Research Services Private Limited
EBO exclusive brand outlet
EMI equated monthly installment
EMS Environment Management System
ERP enterprise resource planning
ESIC Employees State Insurance Corporation
FICCI Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
F&V fruit and vegetables
FAMA Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Malaysia)
FDI foreign direct investment
FIPB Foreign Investment Promotion Board
FMCG fast moving consumer goods
GDP gross domestic product
GOI Government of India
GRDI Global Retail Development Index
HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
HSBC Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
HUL Hindustan Unilever Limited
ICRIER Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations

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ICT information and communication technology
IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute
IGA Independent Grocers Alliance
IPO initial public offering
ISO International Organization For Standardization
IT information technology
ITC Indian Tobacco Company
JV joint venture
LILPL Littlewoods International Private Limited, UK
MBO multi-brand outlet
MDFPL Mother Dairy Foods Processing Limited
MDFVL Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Limited
MDIL Mother Dairy India Limited
MERCOSUR Mercado Comun del Sur
MISH Market Information Survey Of Households
MNC multinational corporation
NABL National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration
Laboratory
NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement
NCAER National Council Of Applied Economic Research
NCR national capital region
NDDB National Dairy Development Board
NOC no objection certificate
NSSO National Sample Survey Organization
PACA Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (US)
PFA Prevention of Food Adulteration Act
PPP Public-Private Partnership
PRIL Pantaloon India Retail Limited
RFID radio frequency identification device
SABRAE Brazilian Department of Support for Small Enterprises
SKU stock keeping unit
SMI small and medium industry
SPRING Standards, Productivity, and Innovation Board (Singapore)
TOMCO Tata Mills Oils Company Limited
VAT value added tax
VSAT very small aperture terminals
WM weights and measures
WTO World Trade Organization

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Executive Summary

The real GDP is expected to grow at 8-10 per cent per annum in the next five years.
As a result, the consuming class with annual household incomes above Rs. 90,000 is
expected to rise from about 370 million in 2006-07 to 620 million in 2011-12.
Consequently, the retail business in India is estimated to grow at 13 per cent annually
from US$ 322 billion in 2006-07 to US$ 590 billion in 2011-12. The study shows:

• The unorganized retail sector is expected to grow at about 10 per cent per
annum with sales rising from US$ 309 billion in 2006-07 to US$ 496 billion in
2011-12.
• Given the relatively weak financial state of unorganized retailers, and the
physical space constraints on their expansion prospects, this sector alone will
not be able to meet the growing demand for retail.
• Hence, organized retail which now constitutes a small four per cent of total
retail sector is likely to grow at a much faster pace of 45-50 per cent per
annum and quadruple its share in total retail trade to 16 per cent by 2011-12.
• This represents a positive sum game in which both unorganized and organized
retail not only coexist but also grow substantially in size.
• The majority of unorganized retailers surveyed in this study, indicated their
preference to continue in the business and compete rather than exit.

The Empirical Basis

The study comprises the largest ever survey of all segments of the economy that could
be affected by the entry of large corporates in the retail business. The findings are
based on a survey of 2020 unorganized small retailers across 10 major cities; 1318
consumers shopping at both organized and unorganized retail outlets; 100
intermediaries; and 197 farmers. In addition, a “control sample” survey was done of
805 unorganized retailers who are not in the vicinity of organized retail outlets in four
metro cities.

Detailed interviews were also carried out for 12 large manufacturers, 20 small
manufacturers and six established modern retailers.

The study contains an extensive review of international retail experience, particularly
from the major emerging market economies.

Main Findings

Impact on Unorganized Retailers

• Unorganized retailers in the vicinity of organized retailers experienced a
decline in their volume of business and profit in the initial years after the entry
of large organized retailers.
• The adverse impact on sales and profit weakens over time.
• There was no evidence of a decline in overall employment in the unorganized
sector as a result of the entry of organized retailers.

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• There is some decline in employment in the North and West regions which,
however, also weakens over time.
• The rate of closure of unorganized retail shops in gross terms is found to be
4.2 per cent per annum which is much lower than the international rate of
closure of small businesses.
• The rate of closure on account of competition from organized retail is lower
still at 1.7 per cent per annum.
• There is competitive response from traditional retailers through improved
business practices and technology upgradation.
• A majority of unorganized retailers is keen to stay in the business and
compete, while also wanting the next generation to continue likewise.
• Small retailers have been extending more credit to attract and retain
customers.
• However, only 12 per cent of unorganized retailers have access to institutional
credit and 37 per cent felt the need for better access to commercial bank credit.
• Most unorganized retailers are committed to remaining independent and
barely 10 per cent preferred to become franchisees of organized retailers.

Impact on Consumers

• Consumers have definitely gained from organized retail on multiple counts.
• Overall consumer spending has increased with the entry of the organized
retail.
• While all income groups saved through organized retail purchases, the survey
revealed that lower income consumers saved more. Thus, organized retail is
relatively more beneficial to the less well-off consumers.
• Proximity is a major comparative advantage of unorganized outlets.
• Unorganized retailers have significant competitive strengths that include
consumer goodwill, credit sales, amenability to bargaining, ability to sell loose
items, convenient timings, and home delivery.

Impact on Intermediaries

• The study did not find any evidence so far of adverse impact of organized
retail on intermediaries.
• There is, however, some adverse impact on turnover and profit of
intermediaries dealing in products such as, fruit, vegetables, and apparel.
• Over two-thirds of the intermediaries plan to expand their businesses in
response to increased business opportunities opened by the expansion of retail.
• Only 22 per cent do not want the next generation to enter the same business.

Impact on Farmers

• Farmers benefit significantly from the option of direct sales to organized
retailers.
• Average price realization for cauliflower farmers selling directly to organized
retail is about 25 per cent higher than their proceeds from sale to regulated
government mandi.
• Profit realization for farmers selling directly to organized retailers is about 60
per cent higher than that received from selling in the mandi

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• The difference is even larger when the amount charged by the commission
agent (usually 10 per cent of sale price) in the mandi is taken into account.

Impact on Manufacturers

• Large manufacturers have started feeling the competitive impact of organized
retail through price and payment pressures.
• Manufacturers have responded through building and reinforcing their brand
strength, increasing their own retail presence, ‘adopting’ small retailers, and
setting up dedicated teams to deal with modern retailers.
• Entry of organized retail is transforming the logistics industry. This will create
significant positive externalities across the economy.
• Small manufacturers did not report any significant impact of organized retail.

Policy Recommendations

On the basis of the results of the surveys and the review of international retail
experience, the study makes the following major recommendations:

1. Modernization of wetmarkets through public-private partnerships.
2. Facilitate cash-and-carry outlets, like Metro, for sale to unorganized retail and
procurement from farmers, as in China.
3. Encourage co-operatives and associations of unorganized retailers for direct
procurement from suppliers and farmers.
4. Ensure better credit availability to unorganized retailers from banks and
micro-credit institutions through innovative banking solutions.
5. Facilitate the formation of farmers’ co-operatives to directly sell to organized
retailers.
6. Encourage formulation of “private codes of conduct” by organized retail for
dealing with small suppliers. These may then be incorporated into enforceable
legislation.
7. Simplification of the licensing and permit regime for organized retail and
move towards a nationwide uniform licensing regime in the states to facilitate
modern retail.
8. Strengthening the Competition Commission’s role for enforcing rules against
collusion and predatory pricing.
9. Modernization of APMC markets as modelled on the National Dairy
Development Board (NDDB) Safal market in Bangalore.

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Contents

Foreword....................................................................................................................... i
Abstract....................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... iv
Abbreviations ...............................................................................................................v
Executive Summary .................................................................................................. vii
1. Introduction.............................................................................................................1
1.1 Context........................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Partners in the Study .................................................................................... 1
1.3 Methodology .................................................................................................. 2
1.4 Organization of the Report ........................................................................... 2
2. Current Retail Scene: An Overview......................................................................3
2.1 International Retail....................................................................................... 3
2.1.1 Organized vs Unorganized Retail ......................................................... 3
2.1.2 Spread of Modern Retail in Developing Countries ............................... 4
2.1.3 Globalization of Retail .......................................................................... 5
2.1.4 Regulatory Framework ......................................................................... 5
2.1.5 Future Trends ........................................................................................ 6
2.2 Indian Retail.................................................................................................. 6
2.2.1 Employment and Output in the Retail Sector ........................................ 7
2.2.2 Organized vs Unorganized Retail ......................................................... 8
2.2.3 Expansion of Organized Retail by Format.......................................... 11
2.2.4 Regulatory Framework ....................................................................... 11
3. Domestic Organized Retailers: Case Studies .....................................................13
3.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 13
3.2 Organized Retail Models............................................................................. 14
3.3 Market Penetration Strategy....................................................................... 17
3.4 Product Margin of Retailers ....................................................................... 18
3.5 Product Procurement by Retailers ............................................................. 19
3.6 Employment Generation ............................................................................. 21
3.7 Conclusion................................................................................................... 22
4. Impact of Organized Retailing ............................................................................23
4.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 23
4.2 Organized Retailing: Advantages to the Indian Economy ........................ 23
4.2.1 Link with Agriculture .......................................................................... 23
4.2.2 Link with Manufacturing ..................................................................... 24
4.2.3 Boost to Exports .................................................................................. 25
4.2.4 Impact on Growth and Productivity.................................................... 25
4.2.5 Impact on Employment and Prices ..................................................... 25
4.2.6 Improvement of Government Revenues............................................... 27
4.3 Sample Surveys ........................................................................................... 27
4.4 Survey Results: Unorganized Retailers ...................................................... 28
4.4.1 Size of Unorganized Outlets ................................................................ 28
4.4.2 Employment Impact............................................................................. 29
4.4.3 Impact on Turnover and Profit ........................................................... 31
4.4.4 Closure of Unorganized Outlets.......................................................... 35

4.4.5 Response to Competition ..................................................................... 35
4.5 Control Sample Survey of Retailers ........................................................... 41
4.5.1 Size and Age of Outlets ....................................................................... 42
4.5.2 Employment Situation ......................................................................... 42
4.5.3 Impact on Turnover and Profit ........................................................... 43
4.6 Consumer Survey Results ........................................................................... 45
4.6.1 Income Levels of Shoppers .................................................................. 45
4.6.2 Location Advantage for the Unorganized Retailers............................ 45
4.6.3 Preference for Organized vs Unorganized Retailers .......................... 46
4.6.4 Savings from Organized Outlets ......................................................... 48
4.6.5 Consumers’ View on Opening of More Organized Outlets ................ 49
4.7 Consumer Survey at Unorganized Fruit and Vegetable Outlets............... 49
4.7.1 Income Levels of Consumers............................................................... 49
4.7.2 Attractiveness of Shopping from Fruit and Vegetable Vendors .......... 50
4.7.3 Share of Purchases, Organized vs Unorganized Outlets .................... 51
4.7.4 Preference for Additional Organized Outlets ..................................... 51
4.8 Intermediary Survey Results....................................................................... 52
4.8.1 Business Profile and Employment....................................................... 52
4.8.2 Business Turnover and Profit.............................................................. 53
5. Impact of Organized Retailing on Producers.....................................................56
5.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 56
5.2 Plotting the Supply Chain........................................................................... 56
5.2.1 Cost of Cultivation .............................................................................. 57
5.2.2 Farmer’s Profit ................................................................................... 59
5.2.3 Profit Margin for Each Player in the Supply Chain ........................... 61
5.3 Farmer Survey Results ............................................................................... 61
5.3.1 Farmer Grouping ................................................................................ 62
5.3.2 Farmer Profiling ................................................................................. 63
5.3.3 Quantitative Advantages ..................................................................... 66
5.3.4 Qualitative Advantages ....................................................................... 68
5.3.5 Conclusion........................................................................................... 71
5.4 Manufacturers: Interview Report............................................................... 72
5.4.1 Methodology........................................................................................ 72
5.4.2 Key Findings ....................................................................................... 73
5.4.3 Conclusion........................................................................................... 78
5.5 Small Manufacturers: Interview Report .................................................... 79
5.5.1 Respondent Profile .............................................................................. 79
5.5.2 Interview Results ................................................................................. 79
6. Future Scenario in Retailing ................................................................................82
6.1 Introduction................................................................................................. 82
6.2 Growth of Retail and its Distribution ......................................................... 82
6.3 The Retail Real Estate Scenario ................................................................. 83
6.4 Organized Retail Investment ...................................................................... 84
6.5 Share of Investments by City ...................................................................... 85
6.6 Expected Share of Top Players in Indian Retail ....................................... 86
6.7 Retail Space Break-up by Category............................................................ 86
6.8 Employment Growth ................................................................................... 87
6.8.1 New Retail Stores ................................................................................ 88
7. Policy Recommendations......................................................................................89

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7.1 Main Findings of the Study ........................................................................ 89
7.2 A Balanced Approach to Retail .................................................................. 90
7.3 Modernization of Unorganized Retail ........................................................ 90
7.4 Regulation of Organized Retail .................................................................. 91
7.5 Modernization of APMC mandis................................................................ 91
Annex 1: Unorganized Retail Universe 2006...........................................................92
Annex 2: Modern Retail Formats in India ..............................................................94
Annex 3: Typical Clearances Required for Retail Store ........................................96
Annex 4: A Note on Sampling Design ......................................................................98
Annex 5: Syndicate Bank’s Small Credit Scheme Linked to Pigmy Deposits
(“SyndSmallCredit”)......................................................................................105
References .................................................................................................................106

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List of Tables

Table 2.1: World Retail.................................................................................................. 3
Table 2.2: Share of Organized Retail in Selected Countries, 2006 ............................... 4
Table 2.3: GDP, Private Final Consumption Expenditure and Retail Sales Growth,
1994-07 (Compound Annual Growth Rate) ...................................................... 7
Table 2.4: Growth India Retail - Total vs Organized .................................................... 9
Table 2.5: India Retail - Share of Categories (per cent) ............................................. 10
Table 2.6: Share of Organized Sector in Total Retail by Category (%) ..................... 10
Table 2.7: Organized Retail Expansion by Format...................................................... 11

Table 3.1: Organized Retail Models ............................................................................ 15
Table 3.2: Organized Retailers Sales’ Turnover in 2006-07 ....................................... 17
Table 3.3 : Organized Retailers’ Gross Margin (per cent)........................................... 19
Table 3.4: Organized Retail Employment, 2006-07 .................................................... 22

Table 4.1: Growth of Selected Industries (Compound Annual Growth Rate in %) .... 24
Table 4.2: Share in GDP and Employment of Selected Sectors, ................................. 26
Table 4.3: Store Area of Unorganized Retail............................................................... 28
Table 4.4: Employment Impact on Unorganized Retail by Age of Organized Retail
(Compound Annual Growth) ........................................................................... 30
Table 4.5: Annual Growth in Turnover and Profit of .................................................. 31
Table 4.6: Annual Growth in Monthly Turnover and Profit of Unorganized Retail by
Age of Organized Retail .................................................................................. 32
Table 4.7: Retailers Showing Fall in Turnover (% of Sampled Retailers) .................. 34
Table 4.8: Response to Competition from Organized Retail Outlets (% of Sampled
Retailers) .......................................................................................................... 36
Table 4.9: Cash Credit Sales ........................................................................................ 37
Table 4.10: Technological Facilities in Use by Unorganized Retailers (As % of
Sampled Unorganized Retailers) ..................................................................... 38
Table 4.11: Bank Finance Situation for Unorganized Retailers (As % of Sampled
Unorganized Retailers) .................................................................................... 39
Table 4.12: Dealing with Competition by Unorganized Retailers (In % of Sampled
Unorganized Retailers) .................................................................................... 40
Table 4.13: Attitude towards Children taking up Your Business (As % of Sampled
Retailers) .......................................................................................................... 41
Table 4.14: Average Size and Age of Outlets - Control Sample vs Treatment Sample
.......................................................................................................................... 42
Table 4.15: Employment Impact - Control vs Treatment Sample ............................... 43
Table 4.16: Impact on Turnover and Profit: Control vs Treatment Sample ................ 43
Table 4.17: Proportion of Retailers Showing Fall in Turnover/ Profit: Treatment
Sample vs Control Sample (in per cent) .......................................................... 44
Table 4.18: Reasons for Decline in Turnover/ Profit: Treatment Sample vs Control
Sample (% of Sampled Retailers Subject to Decline) ..................................... 44
Table 4.19: Average Monthly Household Income of Shoppers (% Share) ................. 45
Table 4.20: Share of Average Monthly Spending by Product Category of Consumers
at Organized/ Unorganized Outlets (% Share)................................................. 47
Table 4.21: Savings from Buying at Organized Outlets by Format (as % of Spending)
.......................................................................................................................... 48

Table 4.22: Savings from Buying at Organized Outlets by Format (as % of Spending)
.......................................................................................................................... 48
Table 4.23: Average Monthly Household Income of Consumers at Unorganized Fruit
& Vegetable Outlets (% Share)........................................................................ 50
Table 4.24: Share of Purchases of Consumers at Unorganized Fruit & Vegetable
Outlets (% Share) ............................................................................................. 51
Table 4.25: Profile of Sampled Intermediaries by Type and Commodity/ Product
Group (in numbers).......................................................................................... 52
Table 4.26: Turnover and Profit by Product Category ................................................ 53
Table 4.27: Change in Turnover and Profit by Product Category ............................... 54
Table 4.28: Adverse Impact of Organized Retail on Intermediaries ........................... 54

Table 5.1: Sowing Patterns of Farmers ........................................................................ 58
Table 5.2 Cost of Cultivation of Cauliflower per Acre ............................................... 59
Table 5.3: Farmer’s Profit for Cauliflower .................................................................. 60
Table 5.4: Farmer Grouping ........................................................................................ 62
Table 5.5: Level of Education of Head of Farmer Households (%) ............................ 63
Table 5.6: Land Ownership (Owned and Leased) ....................................................... 64
Table 5.7: Sources of Finance for Cultivation ............................................................. 65
Table 5.8: Sources of Finance for Personal Need ........................................................ 66
Table 5.9: Average Price Received by Farmer per Head of Cauliflower .................... 66
Table 5.10 : Profit per Head of Cauliflower (excluding commissions payable) ......... 67
Table 5.11: Commission Paid by Farmer .................................................................... 68
Table 5.12: Share of Produce Sold to Different Marketing Channels ......................... 69
Table 5.13: Share of Rejection..................................................................................... 69
Table 5.14: Special Cultivation Practices .................................................................... 70
Table 5.15 : Grading of Cauliflower ............................................................................ 71
Table 5.16 : Participating Companies for Interview .................................................... 73

Table 6.1: Investment Plans of Major Retailers in the Next 5-7 Years ....................... 84
Table 6.2: Retail Market for 150 Cities in 2011-12 ..................................................... 86
Table 6.3: Employment Generation by Organized Retail during 2007-12 .................. 87
Table 6.4: Number of New Organized Retail Stores during 2007-12 ......................... 88

List of Charts

Chart 4.1a: Family Labour (Per 100 Retailers)............................................................ 29
Chart 4.1b: Hired Labour (Per 100 Retailers).............................................................. 29
Chart 4.1c: Temporal Impact on Unorganized Retail Employment ............................ 30

Chart 4.2a: Temporal Impact on Unorganized Retail Turnover .................................. 33
Chart 4.2b: Temporal Impact on Unorganized Retail Profit........................................ 33
Chart 4.3a : Adverse Impact on Unorganized Retailers by Region ............................. 34
Chart 4.3b: Adverse Impact on Unorganized Retailers by Category........................... 35
Chart 4.4a : Increased Home Delivery Sales (% of ..................................................... 36
Chart 4.5a : Bank Finance Situation (% of Sampled Unorganized Retailers) ............. 38
Chart 4.6a : Dealing with Competition – All-India ..................................................... 39
Chart 4.7a : Attitude Towards Children Taking up Your Business – All-India .......... 40
Chart 4.8a : Willingness to Become Franchisee of Organized Retailers ..................... 41

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Chart 4.9a: Distance of Retail Outlets ......................................................................... 46
Chart 4.9b: Mode of Transport .................................................................................... 46
Chart 4.10a : Attitude towards Opening of More Organized Outlets .......................... 49
Chart 4.11a : Distance and Mode of Transport to Unorganized Retail Vendors ......... 50
Chart 4.12a : Preference for Additional Organized Outlets for Fruit & Vegetables ... 52
Chart 4.13a : Adverse Impact on Future Business....................................................... 55
Chart 4.14a : Succession Plans .................................................................................... 55

Chart 5.1: The Cauliflower Supply Chain ................................................................... 57
Chart 5.2: Share of Profit for Farmer, Intermediary and Retailer in the Consumer
Price of Cauliflower ......................................................................................... 61
Chart 5.3 : Asset Ownership (in %) ............................................................................. 64
Chart 5.4 : Vehicle Ownership (in %) ......................................................................... 65
Chart 5.5 : Illustrative Supply Chain for Shampoos/Detergents.................................. 75
Chart 5.6 : Illustrative Supply Chain for Apparel ........................................................ 76

Chart 6.1 : Size of Indian Retail (in US$ bn)............................................................... 82
Chart 6.2: Projection of the Share of Organized Retail ............................................... 83
Chart 6.3: Investment Estimates by City Category (%)............................................... 85
Chart 6.4: Investment Estimates by Format (%).......................................................... 85

Chart 6.5 a: Retail Space Estimates by Format (%)..................................................... 86
Chart 6.5 b: Retail Space Estimates by City Type (%)................................................ 87

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1. Introduction

1.1 Context

An important aspect of the current economic scenario in India is the emergence of
organized retail. There has been considerable growth in organized retailing business
in recent years and it is poised for much faster growth in the future. Major industrial
houses have entered this area and have announced very ambitious future expansion
plans. Transnational corporations are also seeking to come to India and set up retail
chains in collabouration with big Indian companies. However, opinions are divided on
the impact of the growth of organized retail in the country. Concerns have been
raised that the growth of organized retailing may have an adverse impact on retailers
in the unorganized sector. It has also been argued that growth of organized retailing
will yield efficiencies in the supply chain, enabling better access to markets to
producers (including farmers and small producers) and enabling higher prices, on the
one hand and, lower prices to consumers, on the other. In the context of divergent
views on the impact of organized retail, it is essential that an in-depth analytical study
on the possible effects of organized retailing in India is conducted.

In order to assess the impact of growing organized retail on different aspects of the
economy, the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
(ICRIER) was appointed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of
India to carry out a study on organized retail focusing on the following issues:

• Effect on small retailers and vendors in the unorganized sector keeping in
mind the likely growth in the overall market.
• Effect on employment.
• Impact on consumers.
• Impact on farmers and manufacturers.
• Impact on prices.
• Overall impact on economic growth.

ICRIER has been asked by the Ministry to analyze the above issues in the context of a
growth scenario of 7-10 per cent per annum in the next five years and in the light of
practice in other fast- growing emerging market economies.

1.2 Partners in the Study

In this study, ICRIER sought and received assistance from three important groups: (a)
Development & Research Services Private Limited (DRS) for conducting all-India
surveys; (b) Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd., a leading management consultancy firm
on retailing; and (c) Dr. Thomas Reardon and Dr. Ashok Gulati as Co-Directors of the
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)-Michigan State University
(MSU) Joint Programme of Markets in Asia. After a study framework was prepared,
it was discussed in a brainstorming session organized by ICRIER on April 9, 2007 in
which industry representatives, government officials, and senior academics
participated.

1

1.3 Methodology

The following methods were used in the study:

• A survey of international experience particularly the recent developments in
emerging market economies;
• Interviews of major players in organized retailing, large manufacturers, and
small manufacturers;
• Questionnaire-based survey of unorganized retailers including fixed fruit
and vegetable vendors and push-cart hawkers;
• Questionnaire-based exit survey of consumers’ shopping at organized retail
outlets and also consumers’ shopping at unorganized outlets; and
• Questionnaire-based survey of farmers who are selling their produce directly
to organized retailers and also farmers who are selling through the traditional
mandi route.

1.4 Organization of the Report

The report has been organized into eight chapters as follows:

1. Introduction

2. Current Retail Scene: An Overview
¾ International Retail
¾ Indian Retail

3. Indian Organized Retailers: Case Studies
¾ Subhiksha
¾ Trent Limited
¾ Pantaloon Retail
¾ ITC Choupal Sagar and Choupal Fresh
¾ RPG Spencer’s
¾ Mother Dairy

4. Impact of Organized Retailing
¾ Advantages to the Indian Economy
¾ Unorganized Retail Sector: Survey Results
¾ Consumers: Survey Results
¾ Intermediaries: Survey Results

5. Impact of Organized Retailing on Producers
¾ Farmers : Value Chain and Survey Results
¾ Manufacturers : Interview Report

6. Future Scenario in Retailing
¾ Growth of Retail: Organized vs. Unorganized
¾ Investment and Employment Projections

7. Policy Recommendations

2

2. Current Retail Scene: An Overview

2.1 International Retail

1
Global retail sales are estimated to cross US$12 trillion in 2007. Almost reflecting
the growth in the world economy, global retail sales grew strongly in the last five
years (2001-06) at an average nominal growth of about 8 per cent per annum in dollar
terms (Table 2.1). This is in contrast to near stagnant global retail sales during the
previous five years, 1996-01. Grocery dominates retail sales with a share of
approximately 40 per cent which varies from about 30 per cent in rich Japan to an
average of 60 per cent in poor Africa. Retail sales through modern formats have been
rising faster than total retail sales; the share of modern retail has risen from about 45
per cent in 1996 to over 52 per cent in 2006.

Table 2.1: World Retail
3 3
CAGR CAGR
1996 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 (1996- (2001-
01) 06)
1. Total Retail
1
Sales (US$ 7682 7833 7987 8827 9833 10657 11375 0.4 7.7
Billion)
2. Total
1
Grocery Sales 3284 3161 3213 3571 3970 4308 4611 -0.8 7.8
(US$ Billion)
3. Modern
2
Retail Sales 3478 3916 4149 4672 5246 5633 5969 2.4 8.8
(US$ Billion)
4. Modern
2
Grocery Sales 2577 2816 2979 3378 3800 4074 4325 1.8 9.0
(US$ Billion)
2 as % of 1 42.7 40.4 40.2 40.5 40.4 40.4 40.5 -1.1 0.1
3 as % of 1 45.3 50.0 51.9 52.9 53.4 52.9 52.5 2.0 1.0
4 as % of 3 74.1 71.9 71.8 72.3 72.4 72.3 72.5 -0.6 0.2
5. Nominal
GDP (US$ 30055 31889 32888 36904 41470 44713 48141 1.2 8.6
Billion)
1 2 3
Excluding VAT or sales tax; Including VAT or sales tax; Compound annual growth
rate. Source: Planet Retail Database.

2.1.1 Organized vs Unorganized Retail

In the developed economies, organized retail is in the range of 75-80 per cent of total
retail, whereas in developing economies, the unorganized sector dominates the retail
business. The share of organized retail varies widely from just one per cent in
Pakistan and 4 per cent in India to 36 per cent in Brazil and 55 per cent in Malaysia
(Table 2.2). Modern retail formats, such as hypermarkets, superstores, supermarkets,
discount and convenience stores are widely present in the developed world, whereas
such forms of retail outlets have only just begun to spread to developing countries in
recent years. In developing countries, the retailing business continues to be dominated
by family-run neighbourhood shops and open markets. As a consequence, wholesalers

1
Planet Retail estimates.

3

and distributors who carry products from industrial suppliers and agricultural
producers to the independent family-owned shops and open markets remain a critical
part of the supply chain in these countries.

Table 2.2: Share of Organized Retail in Selected Countries, 2006

Total Retail Sales Share of Organized
Country
(US$ bn) Retail (%)
USA 2,983 85
Japan 1,182 66
China 785 20
United Kingdom 475 80
France 436 80
Germany 421 80
India 322 4
Brazil 284 36
Russia 276 33
Korea, South 201 15
Indonesia 150 30
Poland 120 20
Thailand 68 40
Pakistan 67 1
Argentina 53 40
Philippines 51 35
Malaysia 34 55
Czech Republic 34 30
Vietnam 26 22
Hungary 24 30
Source: Planet Retail and Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd.

2.1.2 Spread of Modern Retail in Developing Countries

The arrival of modern retail in developing countries occurred in three successive
waves (Reardon and Hopkins, 2006; Reardon and Berdegue, 2007). The first wave
took place in the early to mid-1990s in South America (e.g., Argentina, Brazil, and
Chile), East Asia outside China (South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and
Taiwan), North-Central Europe (e.g., Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic) and
South Africa. The second wave happened during the mid to late 1990s in Mexico,
Central America (e.g., Ecuador, Colombia, and Guatemala), Southeast Asian
countries (e.g., Indonesia), Southern-Central Europe (e.g., Bulgaria). The third wave
has just begun in the late 1990s and early 2000s in parts of Africa (e.g., Kenya), some
countries in Central and South America (e.g., Nicaragua, Peru, and Bolivia),
Southeast Asia (e.g., Vietnam), China, India, and Russia.

Thus, the third wave countries which include China, India and Russia are late comers
in the diffusion of modern retail. According to the authors, the main reason why they
lagged behind was the severe restrictions on foreign direct investment (FDI) in
retailing in these countries. The demand side features of these countries, such as

4

income, size of the middle class, urbanization, and the share of women in workforce,
etc., have been similar to countries in the second wave. In China and Russia these
restrictions were progressively relaxed in the 1990s and in India partially in the 2000s.
In January 2006, India allowed foreign companies to own up to 51 per cent in single-
brand retail joint ventures (JVs), but multiple-brand foreign firms are still barred in
retail although they can set up wholesale operations.

2.1.3 Globalization of Retail

There has been a creeping internationalization of retailing over the recent period. As
home markets have become crowded and with opportunities in emerging markets
rising, modern retailers from developed countries have been turning to new markets.
On an average each of the top 250 retailers in the world have operated on an average
in 5.9 countries in 2005-06 (July-June) against five countries in 2000-01 (Deloitte-
Stores Report, 2007). Foreign business accounted for 14.4 per cent of retail sales of
these companies in 2005-06 up from 12.6 per cent in 2000-01. The retail sales growth
of companies which have ventured into foreign markets has been faster than those that
have confined themselves to home markets.

As far as the international expansion is concerned, West European and South African
retail companies are the most outward looking. The West European firms, among the
top 250 retailers, expanded into an average of 9.9 countries in 2005-06 and generated
28.1 per cent of their sales from foreign operations, largely in Central and Eastern
Europe. The five South African retailers in the top 250 list conducted business in an
average of 8.8 countries particularly in the African continent in 2005-06, generating
on an average 13 per cent of these companies’ sales. The US retailers are mostly
home-market based operating just in an average of 3.7 countries outside US in 2005-
06 up from three countries in 2000-01 and two countries in 1996-97. The US retailer
Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, is a notable exception operating in 14 countries
in 2007. Most of the Japanese retailers are insular operating only domestically.

2.1.4 Regulatory Framework

It is interesting to note that regulatory restrictions on the growth in modern retail is
more stringent in developed rather than in developing countries. For example, in most
West European countries, setting up of hypermarkets has become very difficult since
the late 1990s and early 2000s as governments became alive to the demands of
traditional small retailers and non-mobile consumers in these countries. Merger and
acquisition plans are now looked at more critically by the national and European
competition authorities. While in most countries opening hours are liberalized
including holiday trading, the very small number of countries where opening on
Sundays are prohibited include developed countries such as Germany and Austria
(Planet Retail).

As noted by Reardon and Hopkins (2006), there are four types of policy regulations
that can be seen in countries which have experienced advanced retail expansion. They
are:

• Competition policy that limits concentration and collusion.

5

• Zoning and hours regulations to limit the diffusion, market penetration, and
convenience of organized retail.
• Pricing regulations that prevent modern retail companies from pricing below
cost and prompt-payment regulations to secure speedy payment to suppliers.
• Policies to strengthen traditional retailers and suppliers through technology
and practice upgrading, enhancing organizational capacity, and financial
access.

The above regulations were put in place in different countries basically with a view to
balance the conflicts of interests between modern retail, on the one hand and the
traditional retailers and suppliers to the modern retail, on the other. Recently,
countries in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand) imposed a number of
restrictions on the growth of large retail companies particularly the transnational
companies in contrast to a fairly liberal approach to the retail sector followed until the
late 1990s. These restrictions involve the use of a combination of competition laws,
FDI regulation, land use restrictions (zoning laws), and limits on operating hours
(Mutebi, 2007).

2.1.5 Future Trends

The Deloitte-Stores (2007) study held that the retail business would slow down
definitely over the next decade in developed countries, while it would grow strongly
in developing countries. This is based on a projection of three significant changes
that will occur. First, the population in the age-group 50-70 years and above in the
developed world will explode, shifting the share of consumer spending further away
from goods towards services, such as travel, healthcare and maintenance of the
elderly. Second, the population growth in the age-group 20-35 years in these
countries will be relatively modest making the hiring of entry-level workers difficult,
while the population in the age-group 35-50 years will decline leading to acute
shortage of middle and upper management positions. Third, in developing countries,
there will be plentiful supply of workforce and consumers in the younger age groups.
Besides, this demographic shift will make the developing countries more dynamic and
risk-taking enabling them to grow much faster than the developed world. Driven by
these trends, it is expected that retailers in developed countries will increasingly move
to the markets of developing countries for growth.
2
2.2 Indian Retail

The growth of the retail trade in India is associated with the growth in the Indian
economy. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an annual rate of 6.6 per cent
during 1994-00 but the growth slackened to 4.7 per cent per annum during the next
three years before the growth remarkably rose to 8.7 per cent per annum in the last
four years (Table 2.3). This meant a substantial rise in disposable income of Indian
households since the mid-1990s. Based on the Market Information Survey of

2
The data on Indian retail is sketchy. There is no official machinery which regularly releases
retail statistics. There have been a few private sources which give information on various aspects of
Indian retailing. In this report, the authors have relied on the data generated by Technopak
Advisers Pvt. Ltd. which in turn has used the data from official sources, such as the Central
Statistical Organization (CSO) and the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) for the
purpose.

6

Households (MISH) of the National Council of Applied Economic Research
(NCAER), the number of people in the income groups of “aspirers” and the middle
class with annual income ranging from Rs. 90,000 to one million, more than doubled
3
from 157 million to 327 million during the last decade 1995-96 to 2005-06. The data
from the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) indicate that the growth of real
private final consumption expenditure, which dipped from an average of 5.7 per cent
per annum during 1994-00 to 4 per cent per annum during 2000-03, shot up to 6.7 per
cent per annum during 2003-07. Retail sales (in nominal terms) in the country also
followed a similar pattern: a high annual growth of 13.6 per cent during 1994-00, a
low growth of 4.8 per cent during 2000-03 and a smart pick up in the last four years,
2003-07 at around 11 per cent.

Table 2.3: GDP, Private Final Consumption Expenditure and Retail Sales
Growth, 1994-07 (Compound Annual Growth Rate)

1994-95 to 2000-01 to 2003-04 to
1999-00 2002-03 2006-07

Real GDP 6.6 4.7 8.7

Real private final consumption
5.7 4.0 6.7
expenditure

Retail sales 13.6 4.8 10.9

Source: CSO, NSSO, and Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd.

The international consulting firm, A.T. Kearney, annually ranks emerging market
economies based on more than 25 macroeconomic and retail-specific variables
through their Global Retail Development Index (GRDI). For the last three years
(2005, 2006, and 2007) India has been ranked as number one indicating that the
country is the most attractive market for global retailers to enter. The high economic
growth during the last few years raising disposable incomes rapidly, favourable
demographics placing incomes on younger population with less dependency, and
urbanization are some of the major factors fueling the Indian retail market.

2.2.1 Employment and Output in the Retail Sector

Retail is a labour-intensive economic activity. According to the Economic Census
carried out by the CSO in 1998, the country had a total of 10.69 million enterprises
engaged in retail trade, of which 5.23 million were in the rural areas and 5.46 million
in the urban areas. The total employment in these enterprises in 1998 was 18.54
million of which 7.88 million was in the rural sector and 10.65 million in the urban
sector. Economic Census has been carried out for 2005 but its detailed results are yet
to be released. However, according to NSSO’s Employment and Unemployment

3
The NCAER gives data in terms of the number of households and they have been converted
into number of people by using the average household size of 4.7 persons derived from the
NSSO surveys.

7

Survey for 2004-05, employment in the retail trade has been 35.06 million, divided
4
between rural (16.08 million) and urban (18.98 million) sectors. This constituted
about 7.3 per cent of the workforce in the country (459 million). Wholesale trade, on
the other hand, contributed to an employment of 5.48 million, of which only 1.71
million was in the rural sector and 3.77 million in the urban sector.

The NSSO data also indicated that retail employment was about 30.62 million in
1999-00 with 12.15 million in rural areas and much higher at 18.47 million in the
urban areas. This means that an additional employment of 4.44 million was added in
this sector during the five-year period, 2000-05, showing an annual employment
growth of 2.7 per cent per annum. However, it is interesting to note that the retail
employment growth has been quite large in the rural sector – there has been a massive
rise in employment in rural retailing of 3.93 million during 2000-05 – and the urban
sector has also shown an employment growth, but only of 0.51 million during this
period.

According to CSO estimates, total domestic trade, both wholesale and retail included,
constituted about 15.1 per cent of India’s GDP in 2006-07, a successive increase in
share from 13 per cent of GDP in 1999-00. Taking into account the fact that retail
trade is more labour intensive than wholesale trade, the contribution of retail trade
alone to GDP can be estimated to be around 11-12 per cent in 2006-07.

2.2.2 Organized vs Unorganized Retail

Indian retail is dominated by a large number of small retailers consisting of the local
kirana shops, owner-manned general stores, chemists, footwear shops, apparel shops,
paan and beedi shops, hand-cart hawkers, pavement vendors, etc. which together
5
make up the so-called “unorganized retail” or traditional retail. The last 3-4 years
6
have witnessed the entry of a number of organized retailers opening stores in various
modern formats in metros and other important cities. Still, the overall share of
organized retailing in total retail business has remained low.

Table 2.4 gives the category-wise growth of Indian retail, total as well as the
organized sector, in recent years. While total retail sales have grown from Rs. 10,591
billion (US$ 230 billion) in 2003-04 to Rs. 14,574 billion (US$ 322 billion) in 2006-
07, which is at an annual compound growth rate of about 11 per cent, the organized
retail sales grew much more at about 20 per cent per annum from Rs. 350 billion

4
This is based on the “usual status” definition. Employment based on the “current daily status” is
not available for retail trade from the NSSO data.
5
See Annex 1for a classification of the unorganized retail
universe.
6
Organized retail or modern retail is usually chain stores, all owned or franchised by a central entity,
or a single store that is larger than some cut-off point. The relative uniformity and
standardization of
retailing is the key attribute of modern retail. The size of each unit can be small so that a chain
of convenience stores is modern retail. A single large department store is also modern retail.

Table 2.4: Growth India Retail - Total vs Organized

CAGR
2003- 2004- 2005- 2006-
2004-07
04 05 06 07
(%)
India Retail (Rs. bn)
1. Food & grocery 7,028 7,064 7,418 8,680 7.3
2. Beverages 212 309 373 518 34.7
3. Clothing & footwear 777 993 1,036 1,356 20.4
4. Furniture, furnishing, appliances
512 656 746 986 24.4
and services
5. Non-institutional healthcare 950 972 1,022 1,159 6.9
6. Sports goods, entertainment,
212 272 308 395 23.0
equipment & books
7. Personal care 371 433 465 617 18.5
8. Jewellery, watches, etc. 530 610 655 863 17.7
Total Retail 10,591 11,308 12,023 14,574 11.2
Organized Retail ( Rs. bn)
1. Food & grocery 39 44 50 61 16.5
2. Beverages 11 12 13 16 14.7
3. Clothing & footwear 168 189 212 251 14.3
67 75 85 101 14.8
& services
5. Non-institutional healthcare 14 16 19 24 20.0
25 33 44 63 37.0
equipment & books
7. Personal care 11 15 22 33 46.9
8. Jewellery, watches, etc. 18 24 33 49 40.5
Total Organized Retail 350 408 479 598 19.5
Share of Organized Retail in Total
3.3 3.6 4.0 4.1
Retail (%)
Source: CSO, NSSO, and Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd.

(US$ 7.6 billion) in 2003-04 to Rs. 598 billion (US$ 13.2 billion) in 2006-07. As a
result, the share of organized retail in total retail grew, although slowly, from 3.3 per
cent in 2003-04 to 4.1 per cent in 2006-07.

Food and grocery constitutes the bulk of Indian retailing and its share was about two-
thirds in 2003-04 gradually falling to about 60 per cent in 2006-07 (Table 2.5). The
next in importance is clothing and footwear, the share of which has been about 7 per
cent in 2003-04 and rose to 9 per cent in 2006-07. The third biggest category is non-
institutional healthcare whose share has slowly reduced from 9 per cent in 2003-04 to
8 per cent in 2006-07. The next is furniture, furnishing, appliances and services,
whose share rose from about 5 per cent in 2003-04 to 7 per cent in 2006-07. The
category of jewellery, watches, etc. constituted about 6 per cent of total Indian
retailing in 2006-07, rising from 5 per cent in 2003-04.

9

Table 2.5: India Retail - Share of Categories (per cent)

2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07
1. Food & grocery 66.4 62.5 61.7 59.6
2. Beverages 2.0 2.7 3.1 3.6
3. Clothing & footwear 7.3 8.8 8.6 9.3
4.8 5.8 6.2 6.8
& services
5. Non-institutional healthcare 9.0 8.6 8.5 8.0
2.0 2.4 2.6 2.7
equipment & books
7. Personal care 3.5 3.8 3.9 4.2
8. Jewellery, watches, etc. 5.0 5.4 5.4 5.9
Total Retail 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Source: Computed from Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd. data.

While the overall share of organized retailing remains low, its share in certain
categories is relatively high and in certain other categories quite low. Thus, for
clothing and footwear, the share is already in the range of 19-22 per cent, for the
category of sports goods, entertainment, equipment and books the share is 12-16 per
cent, and for furniture, furnishing, appliances and services, the share is 10-13 per cent
(Table 2.6). In contrast, the share of organized sector in the largest category of food
and grocery retailing, although growing, remains just below one per cent.

Table 2.6: Share of Organized Sector in Total Retail by Category (%)

2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

1. Food & grocery 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.7
2. Beverages 5.0 3.8 3.6 3.1
3. Clothing & footwear 21.6 19.0 20.4 18.5
13.0 11.4 11.3 10.2
& services
5. Non-institutional healthcare 1.5 1.7 1.9 2.1
11.6 12.1 14.4 16.0
equipment & books
7. Personal care 2.8 3.5 4.7 5.4
8. Jewellery, watches, etc. 3.3 4.0 5.1 5.6
Total Retail 3.3 3.6 4.0 4.1

Source: Computed from Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd. data.

10

The growth in organized retailing in recent years can also be gauged by the rise of
shopping malls as well as the rising number of modern retail formats. In 1999, India
had just three shopping malls measuring less than one million sq. ft. By the end of
2006, the country had 137 shopping malls equivalent to 28 million sq. ft. The pace of
construction of shopping malls is progressing rapidly and the number of malls is
expected to be about 479 by the end of 2008 with a capacity of 126 million sq. ft.
(ICICI Property Services-Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd., 2007).

2.2.3 Expansion of Organized Retail by Format

Table 2.7 provides an analysis of the expansion of organized retail in terms of the
different modern retail formats (see Annex 2 for definitions of Indian modern retail
formats). The total number of organized retail outlets rose from 3,125 covering an
area of 3.3 million sq. ft. in 2001 to 27,076 with an area of 31 million sq. ft. in 2006.
Small-sized single-category speciality stores dominated the organized retail in the
beginning with almost two-thirds of total space in 2001. Departmental stores came
next with nearly a quarter of total space and supermarkets accounting for the balance
of about 12 per cent of organized retail space. There were no hypermarkets in India in
2001. Speciality stores are still the most common modern retail format with over a
half of total modern retail space in 2006. Supermarkets and department stores
occupied nearly an equal space of 15-16 per cent each in 2006. In 2006, India had
about 75 large-sized hypermarkets carrying a tenth of the total modern retail space in
the country. This format is expected to gain more prominence in the future.

Table 2.7: Organized Retail Expansion by Format

2001 2006

Average Share
Share
Format Size (sq. No. of Area in
in No. of Area
ft.) ('000 Total
Stores Total Stores ('000
sq. Space
Space sq. ft.)
ft.) (%)
(%)
Supermarkets /
1,000 400 400 11.9 4,751 4,751 15.5
convenience stores
Hypermarkets 40,000 0 0 0.0 75 3,000 9.8
Discount stores 1,000 48 48 1.4 1,472 1,472 4.8
Speciality stores 800 2,651 2,121 63.3 20,612 16,490 53.7
Department stores 30,000 26 780 23.3 166 4,980 16.2
Total 3,125 3,349 100.0 27,076 30,693 100.0
Source: Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd.

2.2.4 Regulatory Framework

There had been no specific restrictions on the entry of foreign retailers into the Indian
market till 1996. A few foreign players were granted permission for retailing under
this earlier regime. However, in 1997 it was decided to prohibit FDI in retailing into
the country. In January 2006, however, a partial liberalization took place in policy in

11

which foreign companies are allowed to own up to 51 per cent in single-brand retail
JVs as approved by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). Besides this,
foreign companies are allowed in wholesale cash-and-carry business and export
trading with 100 per cent equity through the automatic route. Foreign companies with
100 per cent equity can also carry out trading of items sourced from the small-scale
sector and do test marketing of products for which the company has a manufacturing
approval under the FIPB route.

With regard to domestic regulation, the organized retailer has to secure a number of
licenses and clearances from various central, state, and local authorities before it starts
its operations. They are related to operations, infrastructure, labour, taxation and
other general matters. The number of licenses varies from state to state and it also
depends on the type of store format. First, a retailer has to obtain a trade license from
the local authority (municipal corporation, municipality, or panchayat) which grants
permission to carry on the retail business. It has also to obtain licenses from the
Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) of each state for procurement
and sale of fruit, vegetables, and staples within the respective market areas (mandis)
of each APMC. A detailed general list of required clearances is given in Annex 3.

In addition, in case a new building or mall is to be constructed for use in retailing, the
organized retailer has to obtain “no objection certificates” (NOCs) from the different
state authorities in charge of traffic, electricity, water, fire and pollution control.
Zoning restrictions are also applicable to the organized retail outlets which can be set
up only on land earmarked for the local authority for commercial establishments.

12

3. Domestic Organized Retailers: Case Studies

3.1 Introduction

The Indian retail sector is highly fragmented, consisting predominantly of small,
independent, owner-managed shops. The domestic organized retail industry is at a
nascent stage. At the macro level factors such as rising disposable income, dominance
of the younger population in spending, urbanization, shift of the traditional family
structure towards the nuclear family are buttressing the organized retail growth in
India. Being considered as a sunrise sector of the economy, several large business
houses are entering the retail industry under multiple modern retail formats. On the
one hand, the advancement of information technology is improving end-to-end
business processing by integrating the entire value chain, backward and forward, for
operational efficiencies. On the other hand, rising real estate prices, infrastructure
constraints, and expensive technology are making the retail industry capital intensive.

The current regulatory environment is not very conducive to the growth of modern
retail in India. The Government of India (GOI) prohibits FDI in retail except for
single-brand JVs with up to 51 per cent equity share. The recent growth of the retail
industry is already impacting the commercial real estate sector. As a result of shortage
of land and rising property prices, finding property in commercial markets is
becoming difficult. Further, the land conversion process is complex. The licensing
process for organized retail is cumbersome requiring as many as 33 licensing
protocols. Taxes differ from state to state on the movement of goods: for instance,
some states levy entry tax; a few levy exit taxes; in some states, the local municipal
government also levies octroi. Presently, there is the central sales tax (CST) of 3 per
cent on inter-state sales and value added tax (VAT) of 4-12.5 per cent on different
products. Besides, the lobby against modern retail is mounting in recent months from
traditional retailers.

Nevertheless, the macroeconomic landscape indicates that the domestic retail industry
has immense scope for the modern as well as traditional retailers to co-exist. Through a
balanced regulatory framework and competition policy, both the traditional format
and the modern format can continue to grow, eventually closing the gap between the
organized and unorganized sectors. Organized retailing will: (i) promote quality
employment; (ii) improve business process practices; (iii) spur investments in support
industries; and (iv) enable the modernization of the fragmented traditional retail
industry.

Modern retail business focuses on maximizing customer footfalls and capturing rising
volume and share of the customer wallet. While the competition strategy is largely
price focused, the model works by: (i) improving sourcing efficiencies; (ii) expanding
product assortment; (iii) differentiating service; and (iv) enhancing the store
ambience. Thus, there are four drivers of modern retail’s “one-stop shopping model”:
price, product, service, and ambience.

This chapter attempts to summarize the business models of key six established
organized retail players in the country. These are: (a) Subhiksha; (b) Trent Limited;
(c) Future Group: Pantaloon India Retail Limited (PRIL); (d) Spencer’s Retail; (e)
ITC: Choupal Sagar and Choupal Fresh; and (f) Mother Dairy. The sixth case study is

13

the first co-operative retail model in India. The main objective of these case studies is
to understand how these firms are: (i) penetrating markets; (ii) introducing formats
and product categories; (iii) operating the end-to-end value chain; (iv) pricing
different products; and (v) capturing customer footfalls.

3.2 Organized Retail Models

High population density in the metropolitan cities and surrounding tier-1 towns is
driving the geographic penetration of modern retail. Nationwide, the retail penetration
has been the highest in the South in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra
Pradesh, moving towards the West along Maharashtra and Gujarat and now
penetrating the North, in Delhi’s National Capital Region (NCR), Punjab, and
Western Uttar Pradesh. The fresh crop of modern retail in the late 1990s started in the
southern region as South India has clusters of metro cities and tier-1 towns. In
addition, less complicated licensing regulations by the state and local authorities have
played an important role in the spatial penetration along the regions. In Andhra
Pradesh, the licensing process is now online, thereby reducing the time lag.

Broadly, retail firms are following three routes for their market entry: (a) the
acquisition route which gives a jump-start to take advantage of the already
experienced manpower, infrastructure, front-end property of the acquired firm; (b) the
JV partnerships, a preferred route for firms seeking foreign collabouration for
technical know-how and assistance in the back-end operations as well as future export
opportunities; and (c) the green-field investment route for market entry. A few firms
are also following a mixture of acquisition and JV routes for quick market access.
Additionally, firms are strategically expanding verticals by forming subsidiaries or
holding firms that act as catalysts to their retail business.
7
Typically, firms are positioning themselves in one or both of the segments: lifestyle
8
and value retailing under multiple retail formats. Retail firms are adopting a
combination of formats including, mega (hyper and/or super), medium (department
and/or speciality), and small size (convenience and/or discount) for expansion. This
strategy benefits firms in several ways. It helps to: (i) attain critical mass; (ii)
economies of scope in sourcing by accruing costs across stores; and (iii) reach out to
consumers in the local neighbourhood locations.

Regardless of the route followed, the domestic retail industry is witnessing an
increase in domestic investment, technical know-how expertise, improvements in
supply chain and logistics, and demand for store brand private labels.

Table 3.1 summarizes the business models of the key organized retailers.

7
Lifestyle retailing is category-specific retail of lifestyle-oriented products, such as fashion apparel,
high-end consumer durables, home décor, etc. In the Indian scenario, lifestyle retailing is
more focused on apparel brands, but changing lifestyle aspirations of Indians have also seen a
sizeable increase in demand for branded furniture and furnishings.
8
Value retail is related to the pricing strategy, i.e. discount and value-for-money formats and hence it
can be present across all product categories. Discount stores, a form of value retail, deal in a
variety
of goods ranging from food articles, household durables, electrical appliances, to apparel.

14

Table 3.1: Organized Retail Models

Retailer Segment Business Strategy
Low-price high-volume strategy: by keeping no
fancy frills front-end and by becoming an
Subhiksha Value intermediary at the back end,
Subhiksha leverages on
discounted prices on bulk
purchasesbrand strategy: leverages on high
Single- and cash payments.
Lifestyle &
Trent Limited margins in private labels, and targets consumers
Value
in socio-economic class B and C.
Strategic JVs and subsidiaries around retail has
enabled PRIL to develop retailing across age-
Future Group: Lifestyle &
groups, all product categories, the entire
PRIL Value
customer segments under multiple retail
formats.
Backward integration through IT-based
ITC Choupal business model: leverages by building direct
Sagar & Choupal Value relationship with the supply source, the farmers,
Fresh to sell as well as purchase products and
services.
The “duck and the duckling” model: by having
two- or three- value segment stores, backed by
Spencer’s Retail Value a cluster of small-sized Fresh, Daily, and
Express stores, to leverage on economies of
scale at back-end value chain.
Operates on a co-operative model with the
objective of increasing farmers’ welfare. Has a
NDDB: Mother strong presence in Delhi’s NCR region.
Value
Dairy Strategically located in residential areas and
follows a low-price strategy for fruit and
vegetables.

In the organized retail one-stop shopping model, Subhiksha distinguishes itself as the
“no fancy frills” store working on mass consumers’ daily needs. The company’s
business model focuses on high volume and low margin by: (i) keeping small-sized
functional stores within the range of 1,000-1,500 sq. ft. area; (ii) clustering in close
proximity to each other; and (iii) locating in high population density residential area.
The company concentrates on daily-need essentials and repeat buying nature of its
product categories in fruit and vegetables, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), and
medicines. In a typical store in Delhi, the average footfall is around 600- 700 walk-
ins of which approximately 78 per cent turn into bills.

Trent differentiates itself by building its own-label route. This strategy allows Trent a
better control over the product range, design (value-added portion of the supply
chain), and merchandize pricing. The company’s business proposition in building
customer relationship through membership programmes and liberal exchange policy
has helped Trent in strengthening the Westside brand. The Star India Bazaar caters to
the mass-market segments in meeting their regular needs. Although, the footfalls

15

differ from store to store, the average customer footfalls range between 800 and 3,000
a day at a given store. However, Trent claims that their conversion rates are higher by
10-15 per cent per day than other stores.

Pantaloon India Retail Limited is the pioneer of India’s modern retail in the
hypermarket format and is recognized as an organized multi-format retailer across
value and lifestyle segments. The firm’s business strategy is to capture a greater share
of the consumer wallet by covering all customer segments in all age-groups, in all
product categories through multiple retail formats nationwide. The company’s Big
Bazaar (hypermarket chain) cuts across entire customer segments. In a lifestyle store,
the average customer footfalls are around 1,000 of which 350 convert into sales
transactions. In the value segment, the company attracts an average of approximately
3,000 customer footfalls, of which the sales conversion is between 220 and 250.

India Tobacco Company (ITC), leveraged on information-technology, enabled a
unique business platform to directly integrate backwards with the source of supply,
the farmers. The company not only optimized efficiencies in the procurement chain
for export markets but also created a market place for rural retailing in the domestic
market. Choupal Fresh is a fresh produce wholesale C&C format catering to
organized retailers, push-cart vendors, and traditional retailers. These are in operation
now only in three cities, namely Hyderabad, Pune, and Chandigarh. They have
parallel retail outlets for regular customers. ITC leverages in backward linkages
through its expertise in agricultural extension services and strategic partnerships for
handling temperature-control technologies and logistics support. By extending
agricultural services at the farm level, ITC is managing the quality of the produce and
building an ITC brand in fresh fruit and vegetables.

Spencer’s differentiates itself on product quality, assortment of imported food
products, and shopping experience. Leveraging on the perception of high-quality
imported goods that was attached to the old Spencer’s & Co. brand name, Spencer’s
business strategy focuses on an array of food-related products and activities spanning
across intercontinental and domestic culinary, and chef demonstrations. Spencer’s
follows the “duck and duckling” (pyramidal) strategy for its retail expansion and cost-
benefits in back-end procurement; it has a small set of destination stores (Spencer’s
hyper), followed by the supermarket format (Spencer’s Daily), and a larger set of
convenient store format (Spencer’s Express and Fresh) located close to the local
neighbourhood.

Mother Dairy in Delhi was set up by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)
under the first phase of Operation Flood Programme in 1974 with the objective of
making available liquid milk to city consumers. Following the success of its dairy
industry, NDDB established the Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Project in Delhi in
1988. In addition, Mother Dairy also markets dairy products, such as ice creams,
flavoured milk, dahi, lassi, mishti doi, ghee, butter, cheese, dairy whitener, Dhara
range of edible oils and the Safal range of fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen
vegetables and fruit juices at a national level. Mother Dairy sources its entire
requirement of liquid milk from dairy co-operatives and sources almost 75-80 per cent
of fruit and vegetables from farmers and growers’ associations at the village level. For
distributing milk, and fruit and vegetables, Mother Dairy has opened its booths and
shops mainly near residential areas of the Delhi NCR region.

16

In 2006-07, the retail firms mentioned above generated a total sales’ turnover of Rs.
64.72 billion with an average sales per sq. ft. at Rs. 8,298. In addition, these firms’
array of private labels across several product categories has supported sourcing tie-
ups with more than 4,124 large and small manufacturers and concessionaires.

Table 3.2: Organized Retailers Sales’ Turnover in 2006-07

Mother
Subhiksha Trent PRIL ITC Spencer’s Total
Dairy
Sales turnover
8,000 4,979 19,336 NA 5,400 27,000 64,715
(Rs million)
Sales per sq. ft.
13,333 6,036 6,108 NA 7,714 NA 8,298
(Rs)
Total sq. ft.
600,000 825,000 3,165,000 NA 700,000 NA 5,290,000
area

In 2006, the firms covered in the case studies (excluding Mother Dairy) consisted of a
total of 1,070 stores encompassing nearly 5.3 million sq. ft. area across formats.
These firms have projected a cumulative increase to over 6,600 stores by 2010.

3.3 Market Penetration Strategy

9 10
The modern retailers follow either a spiral or a cluster approach for retail
expansion, and in India typically the cluster approach is more popular. In the cluster
approach, the firm initially launches in an urban city and then expands towards
surrounding tier-1 towns belonging to the same cluster catchment area. Each cluster
covers its own region for direct sourcing, distribution, and logistics like a separate
business unit. This approach is favourable for retailers because they can build a more
efficient logistics network and take advantage of cultural similarities among
consumers in the same region in order to develop their product offerings.

The real estate constraint however is restricting the retailers’ expansion plans in large
formats. The new crop of retailers across the country are acquiring or leasing mega
sized store spaces in newly constructed malls in an approved market space.
Paradoxically, modern retail is diverting the shoppers’ traffic and noise congestion
away from residential localities and minimizing the possibility of land encroachment
beyond the store area as it is currently being done in the case of traditional retail
outlets. However, in recent years, large retailers are heading for a pyramidal approach
by launching several small-sized neighbourhood convenience stores in tandem with a
few large hypermarket or department store formats. This strategy is beneficial to large
retail firms because they can absorb supply-chain costs across formats. Further, bulk
purchases enable them to squeeze profit margin from suppliers. However, the local
traditional retailers in the nearby locations feel more intense competition.

9
In the spiral approach, a firm starts in a large city and expands further and further, but
maintains synergies in buying, logistics, and relationships.
10
In the cluster approach, a firm expands around the major urban centres like a separate business unit,
each covering its own region. Subsequent expansions in other regions tend to follow the
stepwise cluster pattern.

17

The hypermarket format is predominantly the backbone and primary driver of the
modern retailers’ market access strategy. The product mix in the hypermarket format
is typically 60 per cent food and 40 per cent non-food. The format incorporates a
larger share of apparel, grocery products in staples, and FMCG goods, of which the
share of apparel merchandize is 30 per cent. Fruit and vegetables, mobile phones,
alcohol-based beverages and pharmaceutical electronics and household durable
product categories encompass a much smaller share. Although, the supermarket
format has been in India for a while, the new crop of modern retailers expanded the
product mix incorporating FMCG goods, packaged food products, and private labels
in staples and general merchandize. Another dominant format used by modern
retailers includes the department and speciality stores focusing primarily in clothing,
cosmetics, artificial jewelry and watches, and household durables. The discount and
convenience formats largely concentrate on fruit and vegetables and grocery products.

3.4 Product Margin of Retailers

Clearly, the share of product category in modern retail formats is driven by the level
of profit margin retailers make and the consumer adoption rate. Modern retail
penetration and consumer adoption in the apparel and clothing category is the highest.
The firms’ competition strategy is differentiated in the lifestyle segment and cost
focused in the value segment. An organized retailer gets an average of 30 per cent
gross margin or above on MRP across women’s wear, gents’ wear, and kids’ wear on
branded labels. In the case of private labels of store brands, clothing margins are
higher than 60 per cent typically.

In the food and grocery section across hypermarket, supermarket, and discount store
formats, grocery covers around 45 per cent of store space in FMCG and staple food
products. The profit margin in FMCG products is tight because large suppliers control
the brand power and store shelf space at local neighbourhood stores. In staples and
lesser- known FMCG products, however, retailers gain 13 per cent profit margin on
the cost price (Table 3.3). In the absence of national brands in staple food products,
store branded private labels are becoming popular and fetch up to 12 per cent average
margin. As regards fresh fruit and vegetables, however the store level penetration is
low compared to other categories for various reasons: (i) high wastage; (ii) lack of
temperature-controlled isles; and (iii) low profit margins in bulk produce (potatoes,
tomatoes, and onions). In addition, the customer adoption rate is also low in fresh fruit
and vegetables because of its daily need-based requirement and the distance factor.
Nevertheless, fruit and seasonal vegetables are higher profit-margin produce: fruit sell
at 40 per cent margin on the cost price, and seasonal and exotic vegetables around 30
per cent above the cost price. Across the fruit and vegetable section, the net profit
gain is between 8 per cent and 10 per cent on an average. As a result, organized retail
firms are strategizing convenience format stores up to 2,000 sq. ft. area in order to
penetrate the local neighbourhood markets.

18

Table 3.3 : Organized Retailers’ Gross Margin (per cent)

Product Category General Margin Margin for Private Labels

Clothing 30 60
FMCG 1-2 13
Staples 12
Fruit 40
Fruit & vegetables 10 Seasonal & exotic
vegetables 30

3.5 Product Procurement by Retailers

The cluster focused “hub and spoke” model has been widely used across retailers for
integrating backward and forward linkages. The centralized distribution centre is
typically located in one central location surrounded with several collection centres
and/or re-packaging centres spread across the region near the supply source. The hub
distribution centre is the key stock-holding point. Collection centres are warehouses
for temporary holding of fruit and vegetable stocks up to 48 hours or so. The re-
packaging centres are usually used for packaging the private label goods.

In countries where organized retail is at an advanced level, the common practice is to
have one central distribution hub supplying to several spokes across the country.
However, due to the inadequate infrastructure and CST regulations in India, the “hub
and spoke” model for supply chain distribution is restricted to its respective catchment
area. The abolition of CST may streamline the nationwide distribution of warehouses
and allow linear logistics and flow of supply.

Firms are increasingly disintermediating the traditional supply chain of procurement
for operational efficiency gains. They are attempting to reconstruct their own supply
chain by forging direct ties with the original source of supply or using a service
provider between them and suppliers. At present, the supply chain is a combination
of: (i) direct procurement from farmers, small-scale suppliers, and large FMCG
suppliers; (ii) APMC markets; and (iii) consolidators or distributors as a single
intermediary point. The distributor channel is used only if the volume scale is low.
Gradually, the organized retail value chain would prefer to lean towards the direct
procurement approach in order to reduce the cost of the middleman. The direct
procurement model benefits modern retailers for the following reasons: (i)
maximizing its gains on large volume transactions; (ii) implementing store brand
promotional schemes; and (iii) minimizing the operational cost.

In the case of FMCG and staple products, the firms procure primarily from large
suppliers for branded products and small suppliers for store brand private labels. As
regards apparel, a mix of large and small suppliers supply directly for private labels.
As for fresh fruit and vegetables, to a large extent, firms procure from APMC
markets. At the same time, for bulk purchases firms contact farmers and fruit growers
directly. A large share of household durables and furniture goods are being imported
from Southeast Asian countries and procured through a consolidator. In the case of

19

household durables and electronic goods, firms directly forge ties with foreign
manufacturers and subsidiaries of multinational firms in India.

With regard to the relations between organized retailers and suppliers, the following
trends are emerging: (a) organized retailers have direct contract terms with large
suppliers, millers, and clothing manufacturers; (b) in the case of small-scale farmers
in fruit and vegetables, and clothing manufacturers, the organized retailers use a
consolidator (clothing and imported products) or an aggregator (fruit and vegetables)
as a single intermediary point. The latter trend is particularly used for procuring
private labels for the retailers.

Additionally, the modern retailers have created a market channel for small-scale
industries. There has been an upward surge of private labels in staples, consumer
durables, household and plastic goods, and clothing categories. The private label
model works well for small-scale manufacturers or suppliers because they get stability
in receiving payments and business orders. Most importantly, the business process of
small-scale suppliers is improving by receiving direct market feedback and technical
know-how. As a result, the quality standards of products are improving. Many small-
scale manufacturers doing private label business have expanded from one
manufacturing unit to two or three units. On the other hand, the private label business
proposition offers the modern retailer better profit margin and control over price and
shelf space.

At the same time, however, the branded suppliers are losing their bargaining power
with the influx of store brand private labels. Currently, the modern retailers work on a
commission-based margin with branded suppliers as opposed to the slotting-fee
position where a manufacturer or supplier gets shelf space by paying a certain fee
structure. By having commission-based direct contract terms with branded suppliers,
retailers are able to arrange various promotional schemes in order to attract customer
footfalls to their stores and secure discounted price on bulk purchase. This business
tactic is particularly disadvantageous to the traditional retailers because their volume
demand is very small and is primarily on credit payments.

The new intermediary, in the role of a “consolidator” or a “collector”, is evolving as a
value-added service provider between all small suppliers and organized retailers. The
consolidator consolidates goods from small suppliers, undertakes bar coding,
labelling, documentation, packaging, and accounting requirements and then brings
goods to the consolidation or collection centre. A collector in fruit and vegetables
category sorts, grades, and arranges them in crates before supplying to the collection
centre. A typical consolidator or an aggregator owns warehouses and vehicles, keeps
inventories, and stock based on projections provided by the retail firm’s sourcing
division. He understands the company’s business requirements and enables small and
fragmented manufacturers or farmers to scale up to meet the organized retailer’s
volume needs.

In the case of fruit and vegetables, meat, and poultry, the direct procurement at the
farm level is benefiting farmers in receiving market feedback, getting technical know-
how, and reducing wastage. Farmers supplying directly to large retailers are receiving
timely agricultural extension services: international level benchmark practices in
sorting, grading, and efficient packaging at the source level to improve the produce

20

quality and yields. Certainly, direct procurement is improving the business processing
in fruit and vegetables. As a result, there is less wastage and increase in farm income.
Yet, the horticultural field in India requires a great deal of learning and
experimentation on post-harvest processing. There are no hard and fast rules on
meeting the quality and hygiene standards, and modern retail firms are bringing in
standard international practices.

As regards consumer durables, household, and plastic goods, the domestic suppliers
are facing tough competition from goods being imported from Southeast Asia. In
electronics, there already exist multinational and domestic collabourations. However,
new brands may roll in through JVs and store brand private labels.

Modern retail firms are heavily investing in information technology software
applications for streamlining the spokes (outlets) and the hub (distribution centres).
“IT SAP” Retail implementation is widespread across all format retailing. Besides,
point of sale, bar code based billing (automates the billing system), web-based vendor
management system, such as Retail Pro software applications, and auto-replenishment
have become necessary tools for better inventory control and competitive pricing.
Further, the increase in private labels may trigger the need for streamlining the
distribution of warehouses and manufacturing units to improve the logistics flow,
strengthen the supply chain, and push the demand for IT hardware.

At present, modern retailers are making third-party contracts with logistics providers
for managing the movement of goods between the warehouses, collection centres, and
outlets across the nation. The distinctive trend here is to have a dedicated fleet of
trucks through third-party logistic providers but managed by organized retailers
themselves. So far, many firms do not have third-party contract with cold chain
logistics primarily because organized retailing in fresh fruit and vegetables as well as
consumer adoption rate under the modern formats is quite low at around one per cent.
Nevertheless, as modern retail in India overcomes the learning curve in reducing
wastage, know-how in temperature-controlled isles in the front-end store, and direct
procurement from farmers, the requirement for cold chain infrastructure will increase.
Already, ITC has partnered with Ingersoll Rand and Snowman; Ingersoll Rand offers
material handling and temperature-control technologies and Snowman provides the
logistics support in the form of warehouse and cold chain transport. The growth of the
organized retail in India will attract cold chain investments in infrastructure and
logistics infrastructure services from global supply chain companies.

3.6 Employment Generation

Finally, but most importantly, the employment generated by organized retail is
building a quality labour class that is gaining vocational training in skilled and
unskilled jobs at the graduate and tenth class level. To meet the growing demand of
trained professionals in the retail industry, several management and training institutes
conforming to the international standards of certification have been launched across
the country. Foreseeing the demand for trained staff, leading organized retailers are
creating their captive human resources pool through internal training and programmes
and tie-ups with retail management schools.

21

The case studies represented here directly accounted for employment of nearly 28,320
people in 2006-07 (Table 3.4). The induced impact of the payroll spending of the
organized retail employment is also hard to ignore.

Table 3.4: Organized Retail Employment, 2006-07

Retailer Employment

Subhiksha 3,500
Trent Limited 2,600
PRIL 14,500
ITC NA
Spencer’s Retail 7,700
Mother Dairy NA
Total 28,300

3.7 Conclusion

The growth of organized retail will have a positive multiplier effect on the Indian
economy. Retail industry is attracting inward investment both at the domestic and
global level in several support industries: IT industries, cold chain infrastructure, and
logistics and warehouse distribution services in order to strengthen the supply chain.
The surge of private labels have generated demand and sourcing tie-ups with
manufacturers across product categories. In the case of fruit and vegetables, the direct
procurement is bringing quantitative benefits from higher price realization and
qualitative benefits in improvements of agro-processing services. Finally, organized
retail is creating quality labour class that is gaining vocational training in skilled and
unskilled jobs at graduate and tenth plus levels. Nevertheless, there is a timely need
for a fresh regulatory framework and competition policy so that both traditional retail
and modern retail can continue to grow in harmony eventually closing the gap
between the organized and unorganized sector.

22

4. Impact of Organized Retailing

4.1 Introduction

There has been a huge growth in organized retail in India since 2002-03 and this is
associated with the growth in the economy and the attendant rise in consumption
spending. Organized retailing has begun to tap the enormous market but its share
indeed is small. A number of large business houses have entered the retail business
with very ambitious expansion plans. Big foreign retailers are also keen to invest in
India but their entry depends on changes in the government’s FDI policy regarding
retailing. Organized retailing played a significant role in the present-day developed
countries during their period of high growth. Since the early 1990s, it is also
contributing substantially to the growth of developing countries. In India, organized
retail is poised to make a mark in the near future. This chapter deals with some of the
major implications of modern retailing for the country. It also presents the results of
the all-India survey of unorganized retailers, consumers, and intermediaries on the
impact of modern retailing.

4.2 Organized Retailing: Advantages to the Indian Economy

India’s Planning Commission, in its Approach Paper for the Eleventh Five Year Plan,
(2006, pp. 27-8) has noted:

“Organized retailing brings many advantages to producers and also to urban
consumers, while also providing employment of a higher quality. Organized retailing
in agricultural produce can set up supply chains, give better prices to farmers for their
produce and facilitate agro-processing industries. Modern retailing can bring in new
technology and reduce consumer prices, thus stimulating demand and thereby
providing more employment in production.”

4.2.1 Link with Agriculture

Indian agriculture is in the midst of a grave crisis with its growth rate steadily falling
to just 2.5 per cent per annum during 2000-07, as against an annual growth rate of 4.2
per cent during the 1980s and 3.2 per cent during the 1990s. Among the reasons for
the secular downtrend of this sector are: (a) low level of investment in the sector of
just below 2 per cent of GDP (Economic Survey 2006-07, p. 176) for the past decade
and a half; (b) inability to bring a larger share of land under irrigation in the past ; (c)
lack of any significant breakthrough in yields for the last few decades; and (d) the
dismal state of rural infrastructure, such as power, roads, transport, marketing, etc.
While the industrial and services sectors are largely free from the controls of the
license raj, agriculture remains constrained by a series of restrictions from input
supply and production to marketing and distribution.

The problem in agriculture is reflected to a certain extent in the operation of the
APMC Acts in various states and union territories. The APMC Acts were originally
intended to protect farmers from exploitation by intermediaries and traders by
ensuring that they receive reasonable prices and timely payment. Over a period of
time, the government regulated markets failed to function the way they were intended
to and farmers felt exploited with a lack of transparency in the pricing, weighing,
bagging and payments for their produce. The various intermediaries in the system

23

from the village trader, who acts as a consolidator, commission agent, wholesaler,
sub-wholesaler, etc have been appropriating a large part of the final price in the form
of margins and commissions. The transactions at various stages involved huge
wastages estimated at 5-7 per cent for foodgrains and 25-30 per cent for fruit and
vegetables (Annual Report 2006-07, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of
Agriculture and Cooperation). These factors inflate the final price to the consumer by
nearly three times what the farmer receives, and the farmer’s realization of one-third
of the final price compares poorly with two-thirds in most other countries.

A number of states and union territories have taken steps to amend their respective
APMC Acts based on the model law on agricultural marketing prepared by the
Department of Agriculture and Co-operation under the central government. These
amendments, among other things, provide for the setting up of private markets and
yards, direct purchase centres, promotion of public-private partnership (PPP) in the
management and development of agricultural markets in the country.

Organized retail will result in a complete revamp of the agricultural supply chain in
the country. A recent study by CRISIL has estimated a current annual total loss of
about Rs. 1,000 billion in the agricultural supply chain, 57 per cent of which is due to
avoidable wastage and the rest due to avoidable costs of storage and commissions
(CRISIL Research, June 2007). Organized retailers have already started procuring
fruit and vegetables from farmers directly bypassing the various intermediaries who
add more costs than value to the food chain. They are investing heavily on logistics in
the form of centralized warehousing and distribution centres, transport and cold
storage, either directly or through engaging third party logistics companies. They are
also employing a large number of unskilled workers for sorting, grading, packaging
and labelling. All these will enhance farmer’s realizations, improve quality of
products at the shop and reduce the ultimate consumer price.

4.2.2 Link with Manufacturing

The Planning Commission has identified four sectors as the major employment
generating sectors for the Eleventh Plan period, 2007-12. They are: (i) food-
processing industry; (ii) textiles and clothing; (iii) tourism; and (iv) construction. Of
these sectors, all except tourism are getting a fillip with the growth of organized retail.
Currently, both the food-processing and textile industries are lagging behind (Table
4.1). It is particularly the small and medium industry (SMI) sector which will gain
advantages with the emergence of organized retailers by becoming their suppliers.
Modern retail will catalyze the development of the SMI sector in the country.

Table 4.1: Growth of Selected Industries (Compound Annual Growth Rate in %)

1994-95 to 2000-01 to
1999-00 2006-07
General Index 7.6 6.9
Manufacturing 8.1 7.4
Food products 5.8 4.0
Cotton textiles 3.6 3.5
Wool, silk, and man-made fibre textiles 12.0 4.5
Textile products and apparel 7.7 9.0
Source: CSO

24

4.2.3 Boost to Exports

Organized retail’s link with exports comes through foreign players. International
retailers look for sources around the world and a country in which they operate
becomes a source for their global sales. Some of the international retailers that have
plans for India in the future have already developed suppliers in the country and have
started exporting from India. For example, Wal-Mart exported an equivalent of US$
600 million, and IKEA about 380 million euros from India in 2006-07.

4.2.4 Impact on Growth and Productivity

Organized retail has the potential to lift the Indian economy to higher levels of
productivity and growth. In the context of the United States, a McKinsey Global
11
Institute study indicated a contribution by the retail sector of nearly one-fourth of
the rise in productivity growth from 1987-95 to 1995-99. In India, organized retail
will raise productivity and growth by pulling up the current lagging sectors, such as
agriculture, food-processing industry, and textiles. Besides, in order to meet the
rapidly growing demand for retail space, construction of real estate is taking place at a
fast pace. It is interesting to note that construction has been one of the fastest-growing
segments of India’s GDP in recent years, recording an average annual real growth of
12
about 13 per cent during 2003-07.

With regard to agriculture, organized retailing will work with farmers to: (i) improve
yields by enabling them to obtain quality input supplies; (ii) adopt superior farm
technology and practices; and (iii) access timely credit at reasonable rates. Organized
retailing will offer the farmer an alternative market which is more transparent, and
less time consuming. It will provide prompt payment, avoid margins for unproductive
intermediaries, and ensure remunerative prices.

As regards manufacturing, SMIs particularly in food-processing, textiles and clothing
will get a tremendous boost by producing for the big organized retail companies and
will grow along with the organized retail business. The tie-up with organized retail
will drive these industries to become more efficient in order to meet the stringent
delivery conditions of the retail market. Private labelling is the creation of brands in
the name of modern retailers. It has already begun in India in the food and grocery,
and apparel segments and is expected to expand rapidly. Small-scale manufacturers
will be the major beneficiaries of private labels.

In short, organized retailing will remove various inefficiencies that characterize the
present Indian distribution system, which in turn will provide better price for the
farmers and suppliers on the one hand, and lower prices for consumers, on the other.

4.2.5 Impact on Employment and Prices

Employment in India is distributed in a skewed manner towards agriculture. Though
the share of agriculture (including forestry and fishing) in GDP came down from 28.9
per cent in 1993-94 to 18.8 per cent in 2004-05, its share in employment remained

11
Quoted in Morgan Stanley Research
(2006).
12
National Income Accounts,
CSO.

25

huge, coming down gradually from 61 per cent to 52.1 per cent during the same
period (Table 4.2). The strength of workforce engaged in agriculture had been about
201 million in 2004-05. This is, in fact, a reflection of the lack of employment
opportunities in the non-agricultural sectors. The industry’s share in employment
went up from 15.9 per cent in 2003-04 to 19.4 per cent in 2004-05 which is somewhat
better than the rise in its share in GDP from 25.9 to 27.5 per cent during the same
period. The share of services in GDP rose sharply from 45.2 per cent in 1993-94 to
53.7 per cent in 2004-05 but its share in employment grew somewhat slowly from
23.1 per cent to 28.5 per cent during the same period. Within the services sector, the
share of trade (both retail and wholesale included) in GDP rose from 11.9 per cent in
1993-94 to 14.9 per cent in 2004-05, but its share in employment grew marginally
from 7.7 per cent to 8.4 per cent during the same period. The trade sector, particularly
retail, is predominantly the unorganized “mom-and-pop” shops.

Table 4.2: Share in GDP and Employment of Selected Sectors,
1993-94 to 2004-05

Share in GDP Share in Employment
(%) (%)
1993- 1999- 2004- 1993- 1999- 2004-
94 00 05 94 00 05
1. Agriculture, forestry, and
28.9 25.0 18.8 61.0 56.6 52.1
fishing
2. Industry 25.9 25.3 27.5 15.9 17.6 19.4
Of which: Manufacturing 15.8 14.8 15.9 11.1 12.1 12.6
3. Services 45.2 49.7 53.7 23.1 25.8 28.5
Of which: Trade 11.9 13.0 14.9 7.7 8.2 8.4
Of which: Retail n.a n.a n.a n.a 7.4 7.3
Wholesale n.a n.a n.a n.a 0.8 1.1
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

n.a = not available.
Note: Employment is based on “current daily status” except for trade (retail and wholesale)
where only “usual status” data is available.
Source: CSO and NSSO and Planning Commission.

The growth of organized retail will enhance the employment potential of the Indian
economy. While providing direct employment in retail, it will drive the growth of a
number of activities in the economy which in turn will open up employment
opportunities to several people. This includes the small manufacturing sector
especially food-processing, textiles and apparel, construction, packing, IT, transport,
cold chain, and other infrastructure. It may adversely affect employment in
unorganized retail and the trade intermediaries associated with the traditional supply
channels but the additional jobs created will be much higher than those that are lost.
An important point to be noted is that while the jobs that organized retail displaces are
the low-end, low-quality, underproductive ones, the new jobs created are the high-
quality, productive ones. It also generates a number of jobs for unskilled labour for
the tasks of sorting, grading, labelling, etc.

26

Organized retail’s direct purchase from farmers and other suppliers compresses the
supply chain and eliminates a large number of intermediaries and hence can offer
consumers a lower price than the traditional channels. This has a subduing effect on
inflation in the economy. Besides inflation, high volatility of prices of certain
essential commodities, such as onions, sugar, tomatoes is an essential feature of the
Indian economy. The spread of retail can mitigate price volatility of essential
commodities by making them available throughout the year.

4.2.6 Improvement of Government Revenues

Another significant advantage of organized retailing is its contribution to government
revenues. Unorganized retailers normally do not pay taxes and most of them are not
even registered for sales tax, VAT, or income tax. Organized retailers, by contrast, are
corporate entities and hence file tax returns regularly. The growth of organized retail
business will be associated with a steady rise in tax receipts for the central, state, and
local governments.

4.3 Sample Surveys

In order to understand the actual impact of the growing organized retail, the study
carried out all-India surveys of following five entities:

• Unorganized retailers
• Consumers
• Intermediaries
• Farmers
• Manufacturers

Annex 4 gives the coverage and sampling design for these surveys. These surveys
were carried out during the four months, May-August 2007.

These surveys are confined to two major categories of product groups namely: (a)
food and grocery; and (b) textiles and clothing. These two categories cover nearly 70
per cent of retail in the country in recent years. In order to conduct an impact study for
this Report, it was felt appropriate to focus attention on these two categories. The
unorganized retailers in the survey included the grocery and general stores, textile and
readymade garment shops, fixed fruit and vegetable sellers, and push-cart fruit and
vegetable hawkers.

For the survey of traditional retailers, consumers and intermediaries, the study
covered all seven mega-metro cities of population above 40 lakhs as per 2001 Census
(Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad) and in
addition, one mini-metro (of population between 10 lakhs and 40 lakhs) with strong
organized retail presence from the North (Jaipur), West (Indore), and South (Kochi).

For the survey of traditional retailers, the study interviewed 2,020 shops, of which 55
per cent belonged to grocery and general stores, 20 per cent textiles and clothing, 7
per cent fixed fruit and vegetable sellers and 8 per cent fruit and vegetable hawkers.
They were selected, 20 each in the vicinity of each of the 101 chosen organized
outlets of four different formats (hypermarket, supermarket, discount store, and
department store). In analyzing the survey results, the retailers are classified into four

27

regions: (a) North (consisting of surveyed retailers from Delhi and Jaipur); (b) West
(surveyed retailers from Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Indore); (c) East (retailers from
Kolkata); and (d) South (Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kochi). After
eliminating the outliers, there are 1,999 traditional retailers in the final sample.

A consumer survey was conducted through exit interviews of 1,010 consumers,
equally divided between 505 persons each who shopped at 101 organized outlets and
another 505 persons who shopped at the same number of traditional retail outlets. The
same 10 cities for the retailer survey were also covered in the consumer survey. After
eliminating the outliers, there are 470 consumers shopping at organized outlets and
462 consumers shopping at unorganized outlets.

One hundred intermediaries of various categories dealing in different commodities
were interviewed from the 10 cities. Ninety seven intermediaries have remained in the
sample after discarding outlier cases. Given the very diverse categories of
intermediaries and the variety of products they deal in, a sample of 97 intermediaries
may not represent this heterogeneous group and hence the results from this survey
may be treated as more indicative than conclusive.

For the farmers’ survey, 197 cauliflower cultivators belonging to Hoskote taluka near
Bangalore have been chosen where many organized retailers have set up their
collection centres. These farmers were interviewed for their transactions with one or
13
other of organized retailers, local mandi, Bangalore mandi, and mandis of other
states.

Finally, in the case of manufacturers, executives for 12 large manufacturers and 20
small manufacturers were interviewed on their experience with organized retailing.

4.4 Survey Results: Unorganized Retailers

4.4.1 Size of Unorganized Outlets

The sampled traditional retail outlets had an average size of 217 sq. ft. including the
storage area, with textiles and clothing shops having a higher average size of 256 sq.
ft. and fixed fruit and vegetable shops an average size of 129 sq. ft. The grocery and
general stores have an average size of 216 sq. ft. including the storage area (Table
4.3).

Table 4.3: Store Area of Unorganized Retail

Average Storage/ Total
Sample
Category Store Size Godown Average
Size
(sq. ft.) (sq. ft.) Store Area
Grocery and general store 1,299 200 16 216
Textiles and clothing shop 394 231 25 256
Fixed fruit and vegetable seller 151 119 10 129
Total 1844* 200 17 217
* Excludes 155 push-cart hawkers from the total sample of 1,999 cases.
Source: DRS-ICRIER Retail Survey 2007.

13
Mandi means market in Hindi.

28

4.4.2 Employment Impact

The sampled unorganized retail outlets employ more family labour than hired labour;
on an average they employ 1.5 persons per shop from the family, and hired employees
of 1.1 persons. The survey finds a marginal increase in overall employment for these
outlets over the period of existence of the sampled organized retail outlets which
averaged 21 months. However, there has been a general increase in employment in
the South and East but a decline in the West and virtually no employment change in
the North (Chart 4.1a and Chart 4.1b).

Chart 4.1a: Family Labour (Per 100 Retailers)

Chart 5.1a: Family Labour (Per 100 Retailers)

180
158 95%
160 149 151 148 149 152 154 153 152
136
140
75%
120
100
55%
80
60
35%
40
20 15%
0 8.4%

India
East

West

All-
Sout

2.7%
0.8%
h

-1.3% -1.6%
-20 -5%
Nort
h

Now Before % Change

Chart 4.1b: Hired Labour (Per 100 Retailers)

Chart 5.1b: Hired Labour (Per 100 Retailers)

144 146
150 134 23%
124 128
130 117 113 111
110 18%
90 73 72 13%
70
50 8%
9.2%
30
10
2.4% 3%

-10 2.2%
-1.4% -2%
Nort

Sout
Wes

-30
India
h

All-
h
t

-50 -7%
-7.3%
East

Now Be fore % Cha nge n


29

There appears to be a relation between the employment effect on unorganized retail
and the period of existence of organized outlets; the adverse effect, if at all there is
any, wears off with time. Interestingly, in the South and East, where the sampled
organized retailers have been in operation for some time, there has been an increase in
employment (Table 4.4 and Chart 4.1c).

Table 4.4: Employment Impact on Unorganized Retail by Age of Organized
Retail (Compound Annual Growth)

All-India
North (Average West (Average East (Average South (Average
(Average
age=19 mos.) age=15 mos.) Age=41 mos.) Age=24 mos.)
Age of age=21 mos.)
Organized Employ- Employ- Employ- Employ- Employ-
Outlets Sample Sample Sample Sample Sample
ment ment ment ment ment
size size size size size
growth growth growth growth growth
(Nos.) (Nos.) (Nos.) (Nos.) (Nos.)
(%) (%) (%) (%) (%)
Up to 1 year 235 -1.2 290 -7.4 0 n.a 388 6.6 913 -0.5
Above 1 year
171 -0.5 148 -1.9 0 n.a 232 5.6 551 1.8
up to 2 years
Above 2 years
70 0.6 59 -2.0 27 3.0 40 2.4 196 0.5
up to 3 years
Above 3 years
40 -0.7 20 -2.7 50 1.4 20 -1.3 130 -0.6
up to 4 years
Above 4 years
0 n.a 0 n.a 10 -1.5 29 -0.7 39 -0.9
up to 5 years
Above 5 years 10 4.1 8 -0.4 9 0.9 143 1.6 170 1.6
Total 526 -0.1 525 -3.4 96 1.0 852 2.7 1999 0.8
n.a = not applicable; mos. = months; Nos. =
Numbers. Source: DRS-ICRIER Retail Survey 2007.

Chart 4.1c: Temporal Impact on Unorganized Retail Employment
(Annualized Growth in %)

8

6

4

2

0

-2

-4

-6

-8

-10
<1 year 1-2 years 2-3 years 3-4 years 4-5 years > 5 years

North -1.2 -0.5 0.6 -0.7 4.1
Wes t -7.4 -1.9 -2 -2.7 -0.4
Eas t 3 1.4 -1.5 0.9
South 6.6 5.6 2.4 -1.3 -0.7 1.6
All-India -0.5 1.8 0.5 -0.6 -0.9 1.6

North West East South All-India

30

4.4.3 Impact on Turnover and Profit

The survey has brought out that there has been an adverse impact on turnover and
profit of the unorganized retail sector after the opening of organized outlets. The
overall impact has been a decline in turnover of about 14 per cent and in profit of
about 15 per cent over the period, which is an average of 21 months. Therefore, the
annual decline in turnover and profit is in the range of 8-9 per cent. The negative
impact has been felt most in the West with an annual fall in turnover and profit of 19
per cent followed by the North and East in the range of 10-16 per cent whereas the
effect has been virtually insignificant in South (Table 4.5).

Table 4.5: Annual Growth in Turnover and Profit of
Unorganized Retail Outlets

Average Age
of Organized Annual
Sample Turnover
Outlets Growth in
Size Growth (%)
(Months) Turnover (%)

North 526 -15.9 19 -10.2
West 525 -23.7 15 -19.0
East 96 -33.0 41 -11.1
South 852 2.4 24 1.2
All-India 1999 -13.7 21 -8.0

Average Age
of Organized Annual
Sample Profit Growth
Outlets Growth in
Size (%)
(Months) Profit (%)

North 526 -17.1 19 -11.1
West 525 -24.1 15 -19.4
East 96 -44.8 41 -16.1
South 852 -1.0 24 -0.5
All-India 1999 -15.3 21 -8.9


Here again, it is interesting to see that the adverse impact has been in the first 4-5
years of opening of organized outlets after which the negative effects peter out (Table
4.6).

31

Table 4.6: Annual Growth in Monthly Turnover and Profit of Unorganized Retail by Age of Organized Retail

North
West East South All-India
(Avr. age=19 mos.)
(Avr. age=15 mos.) (Avr. Age=41 mos.) (Avr. Age=24 mos.) (Avr.age=21 mos.)
Age of Organized
Outlets Turnover
Sample size Turnover Sample size Sample size Turnover Sample size Turnover Sample size Turnover
growth
(Nos.) growth (%) (Nos.) (Nos.) growth (%) (Nos.) growth (%) (Nos.) growth (%)
(%)
Up to 1 year 235 -23.3 290 -36.4 0 n.a 388 1.0 913 -22.8
Above 1 year up to 2
171 -7.9 148 -16.6 0 n.a 232 2.2 551 -7.5
years
Above 2 years up to
70 -8.2 59 -9.4 27 -7.7 40 -0.7 196 -7.4
3 years
Above 3 years up to
40 -5.2 20 -7.8 50 -14.0 20 -1.2 130 -8.3
4 years
Above 4 years up to
0 n.a 0 n.a 10 -19.6 29 0.9 39 -1.9
5 years
Above 5 years 10 -2.5 8 -6.1 9 -2.6 143 1.2 170 -0.3
Total 526 -10.2 525 -19.0 96 -11.1 852 1.2 1999 -8.0
Profit
Sample size Profit Sample size growth Sample size Profit Sample size Profit Sample size Profit
(Nos.) growth (%) (Nos.) (%) (Nos.) growth (%) (Nos.) growth (%) (Nos.) growth (%)

Up to 1 year 235 -20.2 290 -37.1 0 n.a 388 -4.4 913 -23.5
Above 1 year up to 2
171 -9.5 148 -15.6 0 n.a 232 6.1 551 -6.3
years
Above 2 years up to
70 -10.5 59 -12.8 27 -13.2 40 0.8 196 -9.9
3 years
Above 3 years up to
40 -6.0 20 -7.3 50 -13.6 20 -1.3 130 -8.1
4 years
Above 4 years up to
0 n.a 0 n.a 10 -26.8 29 -10.7 39 -12.6
5 years
Above 5 years 10 -4.9 8 -6.1 9 -13.0 143 1.6 170 -0.8
Total 526 -11.1 525 -19.4 96 -16.1 852 -0.5 1999 -8.9
n.a = not applicable: Nos. = Numbers.
Source: DRS-ICRIER Retail Survey
2007

32

The weakening of the adverse impact on the small retailers over time is also depicted
in Chart 4.2a and 4.2b.

Chart 4.2a: Temporal Impact on Unorganized Retail Turnover

5

0
-5

-10

-15
%

-20

-25

-30

-35

-40


Chart 4.2b: Temporal Impact on Unorganized Retail Profit

10

5

0
-5

-10

-15
%

-20

-25

-30

-35

-40


About 49 per cent of the sampled small retailers reported decrease in turnover while
the rest reported either an increase (27 per cent) or no change (24 per cent). The
proportion of unorganized retailers who experienced decline in turnover was highest
in the East (71 per cent) followed by the West (66 per cent) and the North (57 per

33

cent) and the South reported only a smaller proportion (30 per cent) with a decline in
turnover (Table 4.7). Retailers, who reported a decline in turnover as a result of
competition from organized retail, were about 59 per cent. This was highest in the
East (83 per cent), followed by West (62 per cent), and South (59 per cent) and least
in the North (49 per cent).

Table 4.7: Retailers Showing Fall in Turnover (% of Sampled Retailers)

Decrease in Turnover 57 66 71 30 49
Reasons:
• Competition from
organized retail 49 62 83 59 59

• Competition from
unorganized retail 13 6 4 9 9

• All other factors 38 32 13 32 32

The aforementioned data provides the information collected without indicating the
influence of the organized retail outlets. When the unorganized retailers were directly
asked about the impact of the opening of organized outlets in their vicinity, only 40
per cent respondents admitted that there was a negative impact. Region-wise, the
adverse impact of organized retail was admitted by as much as 59 per cent in the
West, followed by 48 per cent both in the North and East, and in the South only 23
per cent mentioned the adverse effect (Chart 4.3a). Category-wise, the impact has
been perceived more by textiles and clothing shops at 46 per cent and least by fruit
and vegetable hawkers at 34 per cent (Chart 4.3b).

Chart 4.3a : Adverse Impact on Unorganized Retailers by Region
(% of Sampled Retailers)

Chart 5.3a: Adverse Impact on Unorganized Retailers
100% by
Region (% of Sampled

80%

59%
60%
48% 48%
40%
40%

23%
20%

0%
North South East West All-India

Chart 4.3b: Adverse Impact on Unorganized Retailers by Category

Chart 5.3b: Adverse Impact on Unorganized
Retailers by
Category (% of Sampled
100%

80%

60%
46%
39% 39% 40%
40% 34%

20%

0%
Groce ry & Te xtiles & Fixe d Fruit/ Ove rall
ge ne clothing fruit/ ve ge ve ge
ral s hops table selle table haw
store s rs kers


4.4.4 Closure of Unorganized Outlets

It is interesting to know whether the presence of organized retail has led to the closure
of traditional outlets. The survey asked the respondent retailers whether they are
aware of any closing down of small shops in their neighbourhood after the opening of
organized outlets. A total of 151 such outlets were reported to have been closed down
over an average period of 21 months, which constituted about 4.2 per cent annualized
closure of retailers. This ratio is somewhat higher in the West at 6.8 per cent, about
4.5 per cent in the North, 3.5 per cent in the South and least at 2.1 per cent in the East.
These rates of closure are very low by international standards. The US data show a 50
per cent closure of small businesses within four years of operation (Headd, 2003).

However, only 41 per cent of the retailers attributed these closures directly to
competition from organized retail. This means that the closure of unorganized retail
outlets has been about 1.7 per cent a year on account of competition from organized
outlets. This varied between a high of 3.2 per cent in the West to a low of 0.4 per cent
in the East and 1.5 per cent in the South and 1.6 per cent in the North.

4.4.5 Response to Competition

According to the survey, unorganized retailers have indicated a number of steps taken
in response to competition from organized retail, such as adding new product lines
and brands, better display, renovation of the store, introduction of self service,
enhanced home delivery, more credit sales, acceptance of credit cards, etc. (Table
4.8).

Table 4.8: Response to Competition from Organized Retail Outlets

North East West South All-India

Reduced prices 43 31 24 33 33
Reduced expenses 33 38 31 36 34
Reduced staff 11 22 20 19 17
Added new product lines 47 52 56 55 53
Discontinued some
20 22 26 34 28
product lines
Increased number of
45 57 60 60 56
brands
Better display 55 56 65 60 60
Introduced self-service 38 7 52 24 34
Done up my store 32 35 58 30 38
Improved home delivery 22 15 32 25 25
Increased store space 24 10 31 20 24
Increased price for some
4 4 3 16 9
consumers

Home delivery is at present provided by about 32 per cent of these retailers, and this
proportion is highest in the West at 39 per cent, followed by the South at 34 per cent
and then the North at 24 per cent and least in the East at 17 per cent. The survey
indicated increased home delivery sales after the advent of organized retail (Chart
4.4a).

Chart 4.4a : Increased Home Delivery Sales (% of
Retailers reporting Home Delivery)

Chart 5.4: Increased Home Delivery Sales
(% of Retailers reporting Home Delivery)

60.0%

45.0%
38.6%
40.0%

20.0%

9.4%
7.0%

0.0%
Started free home Giving home
delivery only now delivery to more
customers now

delivery order size
Reduced home Any other

36

The results of the survey suggest that over a third of the retailers (35 per cent)
currently provide cash credit to their customers and the proportion is highest at 44 per
cent in the East and least in the South at 32 per cent and in between at 36-37 per cent
in the West and North. The average share of credit sales to total sales has been 21 per
cent, up from 13 per cent before the opening of organized outlets (Table 4.9).

Table 4.9: Cash Credit Sales


% of Retailers giving Cash Credit 37 44 36 32 35

Change in cash credit sales:

Started giving cash credit only now 24 29 49 26 32
Giving cash credit to more customers
43 63 26 38 38
now
Giving cash credit for more amount 8 5 14 17 13

Giving cash credit for longer periods 1 - 9 13 8
Charging higher prices/interest on
5 - 2 3 3
credit sales
No change 20 3 - 4 7
Mean per cent of cash credit sales
20 23 23 19 21
(now)
Mean per cent of cash credit sales
15 11 17 14 13
(before)

Another interesting finding is that a section of traditional retailers are currently using
a number of modern technological facilities and this section is going to widen in the
future (Table 4.10). For example, acceptance of credit cards by small retailers is a
new phenomenon resulting from the presence of organized retailers. Currently 7 per
cent of the sampled unorganized retailers have installed credit card machines and the
survey showed that a huge additional 24 per cent plan to use a credit card machine in
the future. Computerized billing is done by 10 per cent of these retailers and an
additional 27 per cent is planning to use it in the future. Scanning and bar coding is
done currently by 4 per cent and an additional 17 per cent plan to use it in the future.
Computerized accounting and inventory control is practised by 5 per cent now and 19
per cent more want to do it in the future. Refrigerant, freezer, and hot case facilities
are already being used by 36 per cent and in addition 14 per cent wish to utilize it in
the future. About 10 per cent of the traditional outlets are air-conditioned and another
21 per cent will opt for it in the future. Surprisingly, about 45 per cent of these
retailers have an electronic weighing machine, and an additional 15 per cent want to
set up this machine in the future.

37

Table 4.10: Technological Facilities in Use by Unorganized Retailers
(As % of Sampled Unorganized Retailers)

Plan to Use in
Currently
Future
Available
(Additional)

Computerized billing 10 27
Credit card machine 6 24
Scanning / bar coding 4 17
Computerized accounting / inventory control 5 19
Refrigerant/ freezer / hot case 36 14
Air-conditioning 10 21
Electronic weighing machine 45 15

Source: DRS-ICRIER Retail Survey 2007

Access to bank credit is low among the surveyed unorganized retailers; only 12 per
cent of the respondents had availed themselves of bank credit during the last year.
This is much below the proportion of those who wish to secure bank credit at about 37
per cent (Chart 4.5a).

Chart 4.5a : Bank Finance Situation (% of Sampled Unorganized Retailers)

Chart 5.5: Bank Finance Situation
(% of Sampled Unorganized
Retailers)
100% No, 88%
80%
60% No, 54%
Yes, 37% Do'nt

40% k now
20% Yes, 12% /cannot s ay,
9%
0%
Proportion of retailers availing
bank loans during the last 1- Willingness to avail bank
year credit
(including those who have
already taken bank loan)


A majority of those who are willing to receive bank finance want it for expanding and
adding additional services to the same business (Table 4.11).

Table 4.11: Bank Finance Situation for Unorganized Retailers
(As % of Sampled Unorganized Retailers)

Proportion of Retailers availing bank
11 4 8 15 12
finance during last year (%)
Willingness to avail of bank credit:
Yes 33 48 25 45 37
No 61 41 72 40 54
Don’t know/ can’t say 5 11 2 15 9
If willing, what would you do with
bank credit?
Will start another business along with
12 21 29 18 19
current business.
Will expand and add more services to
69 54 59 53 58
the same business.
Will get out of this business and start
4 4 6 6 5
something new.
Never thought about expanding my
business even, if I had sufficient 2 2 1 6 4
finance.
Don’t know/ can’t say. 13 17 5 17 14


Despite the adverse impact so far, a large majority of unorganized retailers showed
their determination to continue in business. This is indicated by their response to the
need for making changes to keep up with the changing times (Chart 4.6a).

Chart 4.6a : Dealing with Competition – All-India

Chart 5.6: Dealing with Competition - All-India

I would like to
Don't know/ change my
business in
Can't say (17%)
keeping with
modern times
(30%)

We have always
been doing this I do not have the
business in a resources to
certain way. I do change my
not see any business in
reason to change keeping with
that modern times
(29%) (24%)

39

The region-wise attitude of the sampled small retailers in dealing with competition is
shown in Table 4.11.

Table 4.12: Dealing with Competition by Unorganized Retailers
(In % of Sampled Unorganized Retailers)


Would like to change
business in keeping with 23 50 39 28 30
modern times.
Do not have resources to
25 6 22 25 24
change my business.
Doing this business in a
certain way; I do not see any 32 17 36 23 29
reason to change.

Don’t know /can’t say. 20 27 2 24 17


Even for the next generation, unorganized retailers want to continue the same
business. Only 29 per cent of the respondents want their children to do something
other than retail (Chart 4.7a).

Chart 4.7a : Attitude Towards Children Taking up Your Business – All-India

Chart 5.7: Attitude Towards Children Taking up Your
Business - All-India
I would definitely
like my children
Don't know/Can't
to continue with
say
the same
(28%) business
(7%)

I would like my
children to get
I would insist into my business
that my children but will leave the
take up anything choice to them
other than this (36%)
business
(29%)

This ratio is higher in the North at 38 per cent and least in the East at 16 per cent
(Table 4.13).

Table 4.13: Attitude towards Children taking up Your Business
(As % of Sampled Retailers)

I would definitely like my 8 8 6 7 7
children to continue with
the same business.
I would like my children to 39 55 32 35 36
get into my business but
will leave the choice to
them.
I would insist that my 38 16 29 25 29
children take up anything
other than this business.
Don’t know /can’t say. 16 21 33 33 28

There has been talk of organized retailers extending franchisee relationship to small
retailers as a way of helping them to cope with the adverse impact. Surprisingly,
unorganized retailers expressed their lack of interest to become a franchisee of
organized retailers. On an average only 10 per cent are willing to take up franchisees
and this proportion is hardly 3-4 per cent in the East and West but higher in the North
at 18 per cent (Chart 4.8a).

Chart 4.8a : Willingness to Become Franchisee of Organized Retailers

Chart 5.8: Willingness to Become Franchisee of Organized
Retailers (% of Sampled Retailers)

100%

80%

60%

40%
18%
20% 10% 10%
3% 4%
0%

North South East West Total


4.5 Control Sample Survey of Retailers

The above analysis has shown that unorganized retailers over the past few years have
been adversely affected in terms of their turnover and profit. Is this adverse effect
confined only to traditional retailers in the vicinity of organized retailers? To test this,

41

the authors have undertaken a survey of a sample of 805 unorganized grocery outlets,
fixed fruit and vegetable sellers and push cart fruit and vegetable vendors (“control
sample”) who are located away from the organized retailers. This was done in four
cities, one each in the four regions (Delhi in the North, Kolkata in the East,
Hyderabad in the South and Ahmedabad in the West). The methodology of this
survey can be seen in Annex 4. The results of this survey in comparison with those
done in the same cities for traditional retailers in the vicinity of organized retailers
(“treatment sample”) are examined below.

4.5.1 Size and Age of Outlets

As can be seen in Table 4.14, the average size and average age of outlets in both
samples are similar. Although some variations exist in each city, the overall average
of the store size is about 166-167 sq. ft. excluding the godown. Similarly, the average
age of outlets in both samples work out to about nine years.

Table 4.14: Average Size and Age of Outlets - Control
Sample vs Treatment Sample

Average Size of Average Age of
Sample Size
Store* (sq. ft.) Outlet (years)
Treatment Control Treatment Control Treatment Control
sample sample sample sample sample sample

Delhi 357 363 144 142 10 9

Kolkata 58 60 130 116 14 12

Hyderabad 259 261 171 205 9 9

Ahmedabad 119 121 241 215 6 9

Overall 793 805 167 166 9 9

* Excluding godowns, if any, and push-cart vendors.

4.5.2 Employment Situation

The overall employment situation showed no change in the treatment sample which is
in tune with the authors’ earlier analysis (Table 4.15). The treatment sample shows
some decline in employment in Delhi and Ahmedabad, while Kolkata and Hyderabad
have some increase in employment. In the control sample, Kolkata and Ahmedabad
record strong growth in employment in the unorganized retail sector. Surprisingly,
Delhi indicates a large decline in unorganized retail employment in the control sample
and Hyderabad, no change.

42

Table 4.15: Employment Impact - Control vs Treatment Sample

Treatment Sample Control Sample
Average age Annualized Annual %
% Change in
of organized % change in change in
employment
outlets (Yrs) employment employment
Delhi 1.37 -0.91 -0.67 -3.37
Kolkata 3.02 6.19 2.01 4.58
Hyderabad 1.97 1.16 0.59 0
Ahmedabad 1.10 -3.06 -2.79 4.47
Overall 1.65 0 0 -0.53

4.5.3 Impact on Turnover and Profit

Table 4.16 brings out the comparative position with regard to turnover and profit for
unorganized retail in both treatment and control samples. The control sample records
an overall growth in turnover of about 2 per cent and profit of about 5 per cent in the
past one year; in the treatment sample, both turnover and profit declined by about 10
per cent per annum. This diverse impact as between the treatment and control samples
is evident in all the four cities.

Table 4.16: Impact on Turnover and Profit: Control vs Treatment Sample

Average age of
% Annualized % Change over
organized outlets
Change % change the past year
(years)

A. Turnover
Delhi 1.37 -18.57 -13.92 2.93
Kolkata 3.02 -36.00 -13.74 0.80
Hyderabad 1.97 -2.54 -1.30 4.91
Ahmedabad 1.10 -21.97 -20.19 -5.05
Overall 1.65 -16.26 -10.20 2.11
B. Profit
Delhi 1.37 -16.29 -12.17 3.54
Kolkata 3.02 -34.77 -13.19 12.10
Hyderabad 1.97 -1.76 -0.90 7.41
Ahmedabad 1.10 -28.46 -26.25 1.5
Overall 1.65 -16.42 -10.30 5.26

The dissimilar impact as between the treatment and control samples is also seen in the
proportion of retailers who experienced a decline in turnover or profit. In the
treatment sample, overall 50-51 per cent of unorganized retailers indicated a decline

43

in turnover and profit, while that proportion was only 28-29 per cent in the control
sample (Table 4.17).

Table 4.17: Proportion of Retailers Showing Fall in Turnover/ Profit: Treatment
Sample vs Control Sample (in per cent)


A. Turnover
Delhi 57 29
Kolkata 67 32
Hyderabad 31 25
Ahmedabad 64 35
Overall 50 29

B. Profit
Delhi 57 29
Kolkata 74 28
Hyderabad 32 24
Ahmedabad 64 33
Overall 51 28

The unorganized retailers who were subject to a decline in turnover and profit were
asked the major reason for that decline. In the treatment sample, 50-58 per cent of
retailers who were subject to decline in turnover and profit attributed it to competition
from organized retail, whereas only 24-25 per cent in the control sample attributed it
to organized retail (Table 4.18). Similarly, while only 12-13 per cent quoted
competition from the unorganized retailers as the main reason for decline in the
treatment sample, a larger 26-32 per cent considered that as the main reason for the
decline in the control sample.

Table 4.18: Reasons for Decline in Turnover/ Profit: Treatment Sample vs
Control Sample (% of Sampled Retailers Subject to Decline)

Treatment Control
Sample Sample

A. Turnover
1. Competition from organized retail 58 25
2. Competition from unorganized retail 12 32
3. All other factors 30 43

B. Profit
1. Competition from organized retail 50 24
2. Competition from unorganized retail 13 26
3. All other factors 37 50

44

4.6 Consumer Survey Results

The purpose of the survey of consumers is to understand the behaviour of and benefits
to consumers in shopping at organized vs. unorganized retail outlets. Exit interviews
were conducted with 505 consumers who shopped at 101 organized outlets in the
selected 10 cities and an equal number of consumers who shopped at 101 unorganized
outlets in the same cities. After dropping the outliers, the sample has 470 customers at
organized outlets and 462 at unorganized outlets.

4.6.1 Income Levels of Shoppers

As expected, consumers shopping at organized outlets have higher income levels than
consumers shopping at unorganized outlets. However, the middle class including the
aspirers (covering monthly household income between Rs.10,000 to Rs. 1,00,000)
which is the mainstay for retail, shop at both organized and unorganized outlets
(Table 5.19).

Table 4.19: Average Monthly Household Income of Shoppers (% Share)

Shoppers at
Shoppers at
Income Group (Rupees) Unorganized
Organized Outlets
Outlets
Up to 10,000 6 27

10,001 – 20,000 36 54

20,001 – 50,000 45 16

50,001 – 1,00,000 11 2

1,00,000 -10,00,000 2 1


4.6.2 Location Advantage for the Unorganized Retailers

Location is a comparative advantage for unorganized retailers as the mean distance to
the residence for consumers at unorganized outlets is 1.1 km compared to 2.6 km for
consumers at organized outlets (Chart 4.9a). As expected, a majority of consumers
walk to traditional retailers, while most of the consumers use own vehicle to reach
organized outlets (Chart 4.9b).

45

Chart 4.9a: Distance of Retail Outlets

70 Organized Unorganized
70

(N = 470) (N = 462)
60 60
64
50 50

40 40
% %
26 24 30
30
19 19
16
20 15 20
7 6
10 4
10
0
0 Upto 0.6 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 4 Above 4

Upto 0.6 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 4 Above 4 0.5 Km Km Km Km Km
0.5 k m Km Km Km Km

Mean Distance = 2.6 Km Mean Distance = 1.1 Km

Chart 4.9b: Mode of Transport

Organized Unorganized
(N = 470) (N = 462)
60
60

50
50
55
40
40
% 30
33 33 % 30
20
22 20
10
23 18
4
12 10
0
0

Walk Car Scooter/ Other
Walk Car Scooter/ Other
Bik e
Bike


4.6.3 Preference for Organized vs Unorganized Retailers

Those who shopped at organized outlets reported the main reasons as better product

quality, lower price, one-stop shopping, choice of more brands and products, family
shopping, fresh stocks, etc. Those who shopped at unorganized outlets attributed it to
proximity to residence, goodwill, credit availability, possibility of bargaining, choice
of loose items, convenient timings, home delivery, etc.

46

The survey also throws light on the fact that shoppers do not shop exclusively at the
organized or the unorganized outlets. They shop at both outlets and the share of
spending varies from product to product. Even those who were interviewed at
organized outlets, declared that 43-46 per cent of their spending on vegetables, fruit,
non-staple food items, cooking oil and other packaged food items was from
unorganized outlets (Table 4.20). On the whole, the sample shoppers at organized
outlets make a 30 per cent of their spending on food and grocery, and textiles and
clothing at unorganized outlets.

Similarly, consumers interviewed at unorganized outlets also spend at organized
outlets; on an average, 39 per cent of their monthly shopping is done at organized
outlets. This is relatively higher for toiletries (59 per cent), household cleaning
products (45 per cent), readymade garments (45 per cent), and cooking oil (41 per
cent).

Table 4.20: Share of Average Monthly Spending by Product Category of
Consumers at Organized/ Unorganized Outlets (% Share)

Consumers at Organized Consumers at
Outlets Unorganized Outlets
Spending at Spending at Spending at Spending at
organized unorganized organized unorganized
outlets outlets outlets outlets

Staples 66 34 31 69
Other food items 59 41 34 66
Cooking oil 54 46 41 59
Other packaged foods 55 45 38 62
Toiletries 63 37 59 41
Household cleaning
54 46 45 55
products
Fruit 56 44 36 64
Vegetables 57 43 35 65
Readymade garments 62 38 45 55
Total 70 30 39 61

The consumers at organized outlets were asked whether their overall spending on
food and grocery, and textiles and clothing has increased, decreased, or remained the
same after they started shopping from organized outlets. While 32 per cent of sampled
consumers declared an increase in spending, 21 per cent indicated a decrease and the
balance no change. Thus the arrival of organized retail has enhanced spending in
general. The reasons indicated for higher spending have been mainly the purchase of
larger quantities due to wider range of products, availability of attractive offers like
discounts and promotional schemes, and access to better quality products with higher
prices.

47

4.6.4 Savings from Organized Outlets

Do the shoppers who buy at organized outlets save money? Yes, they save but the
degree of saving depends upon the type of modern formats. The sampled consumers
at organized outlets reported an overall saving of 4 per cent, and the saving is higher
at 8 per cent at discount stores and supermarkets, and a low of 2 per cent at
hypermarkets and hardly one per cent at departmental stores (textiles and clothing
outlets). Interestingly, the survey has shown that small spenders save more from
shopping at organized outlets (Table 4.21).

Table 4.21: Savings from Buying at Organized Outlets by Format
(as % of Spending)

Depart-
Spending at Sampled Visit Discount Super- Hyper-
mental Overall
(Rupees) Store market market
Store
Up to 250 12 10 6 0 10
251 - 500 9 6 6 2 6
501 - 1000 7 9 6 4 7
1001 – 2000 7 10 3 2 6
2001 – 5000 5 4 0 1 1
Above 5000 0 0 2 0 0.4
Overall 8 8 2 1 4

Is it that the small spenders who save more at organized outlets are into cherry
picking on discounted items irrespective of income levels or are they from the low-
income brackets?

Table 4.22 shows that it is really the low-income households who save more at
organized outlets.

Table 4.22: Savings from Buying at Organized Outlets by Format
(as % of Spending)

Depart-
Monthly Household Income Discount Super- Hyper-
mental Overall
(Rupees) Store market market
Store
Up to 10,000 17 10 6 0 10
10,001 – 20,000 7 10 4 4 7
20,001 – 50,000 7 6 2 1 3
50,001 – 1,00,000 7 3 1 1 2
1,00,000 -10,00,000 0 7 0 0 1
Overall 8 8 2 1 4

48

4.6.5 Consumers’ View on Opening of More Organized Outlets

Finally, consumers were asked about their opinion about opening of more organized
outlets. Among the shoppers at organized outlets, 73 per cent wanted more organized
outlets whereas only 34 per cent of shoppers at unorganized outlets preferred to have
more organized outlets. Among both shoppers, a quarter did not want any more
organized outlets (Chart 4.10a).

Chart 4.10a : Attitude towards Opening of More Organized Outlets

Organized Unorganized
(N = 470) (N = 462)

No Yes
No No Opinion
Opinion 34%
22% 40%
5%

No
Yes 26%
73%


4.7 Consumer Survey at Unorganized Fruit and Vegetable Outlets

The above consumer survey did not include consumers who are shopping at pure fruit
and vegetable shops located in fixed market areas or the push-cart hawkers selling
fruit and vegetables. Separate exit interviews were conducted of a total of 308
consumers shopping at these outlets in nine major cities (all ten cities included earlier
minus Kochi). The findings of this survey are given below.

4.7.1 Income Levels of Consumers

About 52 per cent of the sampled shoppers at fixed and push-cart fruit and vegetable
vendors are the low-income households (monthly income up to Rs. 10,000). Within
the sample, it is observed that about 37 per cent (114 numbers) of consumers shop
also from organized retail outlets and the majority (63 per cent) shop exclusively from
unorganized outlets. If we consider the part of shoppers who exclusively shop from
these outlets, 66 per cent of them belong to the low-income group (Table 4.23).
Among those who also shop from organized outlets for fruit and vegetables, the
majority (71 per cent) belongs to the middle-income category (monthly household
income from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 1,00,000).

Table 4.23: Average Monthly Household Income of Consumers at Unorganized
Fruit & Vegetable Outlets (% Share)

Consumers Buying Consumers Buying only
Income Group Total
also from Organized from Unorganized
(Rupees) (N = 308)
Outlets (N = 114) Outlets (N = 194)
Up to 10,000 52 28 66

10,001 – 20,000 32 43 25

20,001 – 50,000 14 24 8

50,001 – 1,00,000 1 4 1

1,00,000 -10,00,000 1 1 0


4.7.2 Attractiveness of Shopping from Fruit and Vegetable Vendors

Proximity comes out clearly as the major advantage of the traditional fruit and
vegetable shops and hawkers with their mean distance for consumers at just one km
(Chart 4.11a). A majority of consumers walk to these outlets (62 per cent), some
travel by scooter or motor cycle (19 per cent). These results are similar to what was
evident in the case of consumers shopping at neighbourhood kirana shops.

Chart 4.11a : Distance and Mode of Transport to Unorganized Retail Vendors

Distance to Vendors Mode of Transport
70
62 70
62
60
60

50
50

40
40
% %
30 28 30
19
20 20

10
8 8 7
10 3
2 1
0 0
Upto 0.5 0.6 to 1 1 to 2 Km s 2 to 4 Km By Scoote r/ Au to Bi cycl e By C ar Bu s
Km s Km s s Wal k Bi k e

Mean Distance = 1.04 km

Besides closeness to residence, the survey has highlighted the other attractive features
of shopping from these retail outlets as: possibility of bargaining, freshness of
products, better quality, lower price, choice of varieties, credit availability, convenient
timings, e
etc.

4.7.3 Share of Purchases, Organized vs Unorganized Outlets

As indicated earlier, some of the consumers who shop at unorganized fruit and
vegetable outlets also shop from organized outlets. On an average, these shoppers
make 11 purchases in a month of which two are made from organized outlets. In the
case of the shoppers who also shop from organized outlets (which constitute 37 per
cent of the sample); they make 13 purchases a month of which four are from
organized outlets. If we consider all those who shop exclusively from unorganized
outlets, they shop 10 times a month (Table 4.24).

As regards the level of spending in these outlets, the consumers on an average spend
approximately Rs. 1,085 in a month on fruit and vegetables of which nearly one-fifth
is spent at organized outlets. If one takes into account only those who shop also from
organized outlets, they make over two-fifths of their fruit and vegetable purchases
from organized outlets.

Table 4.24: Share of Purchases of Consumers at Unorganized
Fruit & Vegetable Outlets (% Share)

Consumers
Consumers Buying Buying only
Total also from from
(N = 308) Organized Outlets Unorganized
(N = 114) Outlets
(N = 194)

A. Frequency of monthly
purchases
1. Average number of
11 13 10
purchases
2. Purchases from organized
2 4 0
outlets
3. Purchases from
9 9 10
unorganized outlets

B. Monthly expenditure
1. Average monthly
1085 1307 955
expenditure (Rs.)
2. % Spending at organized
18.7 41.8 0
outlets
3. % Spending at unorganized
81.3 58.2 100.0
outlets

4.7.4 Preference for Additional Organized Outlets

These consumers were also asked whether they would like the opening of additional
organized outlets for fruit and vegetables, a third answered in the positive. About 29
per cent did not want any additional organized outlets and 38 per cent did not have
any opinion (Chart 4.12a).

51

Chart 4.12a : Preference for Additional Organized Outlets for Fruit & Vegetables

No Opinion Yes
38% 33%

No
29%


4.8 Intermediary Survey Results

The profile of the sampled 97 intermediaries by type and by commodity and product
group is given in Table 4.25.

Table 4.25: Profile of Sampled Intermediaries by Type and Commodity/
Product Group (in numbers)

Packaged
Cooking Veget-
Rice Wheat Pulses Consumer Fruit Apparel Total*
Oil ables
Products
Commission
0 1 0 1 0 3 3 0 8
agent
Miller/trader 1 1 2 4 3 0 0 2 9
Regional
0 1 1 0 2 0 1 1 5
wholesaler
C & F agent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Wholesaler 5 4 7 6 8 5 5 5 41
Local comm-
0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2
ission agent
Company
4 2 3 3 10 0 0 2 19
stockist
Distributor 1 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 7
Authorized
0 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 3
dealer
Others 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

* In some cases, the same intermediary is engaged in more than one product category and hence
the row total may add more than the last column total.
Source: DRS-ICRIER Retail Survey
2007

4.8.1 Business Profile and Employment

Intermediation is the core business for 96 per cent of the sampled intermediaries. A
majority of them have been in business for a very long period: 36 per cent are in
a
business for more than 20 years and only 29 per cent are for less than 10 years.

Thirty-two per cent of the intermediaries interviewed are company-appointed
stockists or distributors. A bulk of the sampled intermediaries has good infrastructural
backing: 71 per cent have warehouses and 80 per cent of them own those warehouses;
50 per cent of the intermediaries have their own transport and 77 per cent of them
own them. 97 intermediaries employed 586 persons under them in 2006-07, almost
the same number of 587 employees in 2005-06.

4.8.2 Business Turnover and Profit

The sampled intermediaries reported an increase of turnover by 7.5 per cent in 2006-
07 over 2005-06 and an increase in profit by 15 per cent also over the same period.
However, the sample indicated that there was: (i) some decline in turnover in fruit,
vegetables and apparel; (ii) a decline in profit in vegetables and apparel; and (iii)
stagnation in profit in pulses, packaged consumer products and fruit (Table 4.26).

Table 4.26: Turnover and Profit by Product Category

Average Turnover Average Profit
Product/ (Rs. million) (Rs. million)
Commodity
2005-06 2006-07 2005-06 2006-07

Cooking oil 21.3 22.0 1.4 1.5
Rice 15.0 16.6 2.7 3.4
Wheat 11.8 12.6 2.0 2.7
Pulses 11.6 12.7 1.0 1.0
Packaged consumer
8.1 11.2 0.7 0.7
products
Fruit 8.1 7.9 0.5 0.5
Vegetables 4.1 3.6 0.3 0.2
Apparel 7.9 7.8 0.6 0.5
Total average 10.6 11.4 1.0 1.15


The sampled intermediaries were asked whether they have experienced an increase,
decrease or constant turnover and profit in the past year compared to the previous
year. In both turnover and profit, the number who reported increase had been 23-24
per cent which is lower than those who reported decrease (33 per cent for turnover
and 38 per cent for profit). With both overall turnover and profit showing an increase,
it implies that the smaller intermediaries have been affected. Interestingly, product-
wise response indicated that a greater number of intermediaries had decreases than
increases except in product categories of rice and wheat for both turnover and profit,
and pulses for turnover (Table 4.27).

53

Table 4.27: Change in Turnover and Profit by Product Category

Turnover in 2006-07 Profit in 2006-07
Product/ over 2005-06 over 2005-06
Commodity Decreas
Increase Same Increase Decrease Same
e
Edible Oil 23 54 23 23 54 23
Rice 31 23 46 38 31 31
Wheat 27 7 67 27 7 66
Pulses 28 17 56 28 28 44
Packaged
consumer 31 31 38 31 34 35
Products
Fruit 33 44 23 33 56 11
Vegetables 0 50 50 0 50 50
Apparel 9 27 64 0 27 73
Overall 24 33 43 23 38 39
Note: The figures are in terms of percentage of respondents who are 97 in number

Intermediaries were asked whether the emergence of organized retail had any adverse
impact on them. Thirty seven per cent have admitted an adverse impact, while 59 per
cent indicated no adverse impact. However a larger proportion of intermediaries
dealing in commodities, such as rice (54 per cent), fruit (56 per cent), vegetables (50
per cent) and packaged consumer products (42 per cent) have indicated negative
impact (Table 4.28).

Table 4.28: Adverse Impact of Organized Retail on Intermediaries

Don't Know/
Product/ Commodity Yes No
Can't Say
Cooking oil 31 62 8
Rice 54 46 0
Wheat 20 80 0
Pulses 22 67 11
Packaged consumer products 42 58 0
Fruit 56 44 0
Vegetables 50 50 0
Apparel 18 73 9
Overall 37 59 4
Note: The figures are in terms of percentage of respondents who are 97 in number.

The intermediaries were also asked whether they adopted changes in their business
strategy to meet the threat from organized retail. Only 19 per cent had admitted
changes in business strategy during 2006-07. The measures included improved

54

services to customers, reduction in margins, dealing in better quality products,
reduction of expenditure, reduced staff, new product lines, and increased credit sales.
While 37 per cent had indicated adverse impact of organized retail, a lower proportion
of 31 per cent intermediaries reported possible adverse impact of organized retail in
their future business (Chart 4.13a). Even this 31 per cent plan different strategies to
remain competitive to cope with the adverse effect of organized retailing, such as
offering discounts, reducing margins, putting pressure on the government, shifting to
better quality and branded products, increasing the variety of products, enhancing
credit facility, etc.

Chart 4.13a : Adverse Impact on Future Business

Don't Know/ Can't Say, 20%

Ye s , 31%

No, 49%


With regard to future plans, 66 per cent are prepared to invest and expand business
and remain competitive. About 89 per cent want to remain in the same business, while
only 3 per cent are thinking of changing the business line. An overwhelming
proportion – almost two-thirds want their children to get into intermediary business
and only 22 per cent did not want their children to be in the same business (Chart
4.14a).

Chart 4.14a : Succession Plans

13

14

22 51

I w ould lik e m y childre n to ge t into m y bus ine s s but w ill le ave choice on
the m I w ould ins is t that m y childr e n tak e up anything othe r than this bus
ine s s Don’t' Know /Can't Say
I w ould de finite ly lik e m y childr e n to continue w ith the s am e bus ine s s

5
55

5. Impact of Organized Retailing on Producers

5.1 Introduction

This chapter analyses the impact of organized retail on farmers and manufacturers.
The study of the impact of organized retail on farmers is undertaken in two parts. The
first part explores the supply chain of agricultural produce. This has been done for
14
cauliflower farmers in Hoskote, Bangalore. The second part is an exhaustive survey
of 197 cauliflower farmers in the same area. These farmers rely on multiple channels
to sell their produce and the results of this survey have been analysed to find out the
comparative advantages for the farmer.

The chapter also reports the findings from interviews of manufacturers. To understand
the impact on manufacturers, interviews of the management were conducted for 12
important FMCG and apparel producers. In addition, 20 small producers were also
interviewed separately to learn about how the small sector is impacted and is coping
with the emergence of organized retail.

5.2 Plotting the Supply Chain

Subsequent to the investigation in and around Bangalore (Hoskote), where interviews
were conducted with all market players in the supply chain, seven unique supply
chains were mapped (Chart 5.1). These chains trace the various paths adopted by the
farmer to sell his produce. The only logistic service providers are the transporters.
Most of the services required, such as loading, unloading, grading, sorting and
packing, are undertaken either by the farmer or the intermediary or the retailer. These
services are value additions for either the farmer or the retailer. The selling price of
the cauliflower is given in rupees in the arrow box below each player’s name. All
prices are applicable for one head of cauliflower. The cauliflower is graded by size
15
and weight. Not all players buy all the grades of cauliflower. Hence prices of only
those grades that the respective player sells to the buyer are given.

The presence of those intermediaries (wholesalers) within the dotted arrow boxes is
optional. On most occasions, these wholesalers are absent from the chain. These
wholesalers are typically responsible for the produce reaching the small retailers such
as the small stationery vegetable shops and the many push-cart vendors and hawkers.

With the exception of the last two chains, (f) and (g)), which pertain only to organized
retailers, in all the other chains, the retailer may be an organized or a traditional
retailer. Most farmers utilize a mix of the chains listed above.

14
The climate in Bangalore is suited to growing cauliflower throughout the year. The vegetable
is transported from Bangalore to other states in India all through the year. Hoskote is one of the
largest cauliflower producing areas in the country.
15
A cauliflower weighing over 750g is considered as “large” (L), while a “medium” (M)
weighs between 400-750g and a head that weighs less than 400g is “small” (S).

56

Chart 5.1: The Cauliflower Supply Chain

Farmer Transporters CA* Wholesaler Retailer
L: 8-9 (Service L: 8-9 L: 10-10.50 L: 15-16
a) M: 4-4.50
provider) M: 4-4.50 M: 6-6.50 M: 11-12
S: 2 S: 2 S: 3-4 S: 8-9

Farmer Wholesaler Retailer
b) L: 7-7.50 L: 8.50-9.50
M: 5 M: 6-7

Farmer Wholesaler Wholesaler Retailer
CA*
L: 8-9 L: 10.50-11 L: 12.50-13.50 L: 17-19
c) L: 10.50-11
M: 4-4.50 M: 6.50-7 M: 6.50-7 M: 8-8.50 M: 13-14
S: 2 S: 3 S: 3 S: 6-7 S: 9-10.50

Farmer Shandi Consumer
d) L: 9-10
M: 6-7
S: 5

Farmer Safal Market Wholesaler Retailer
e) L: 9.50-10.50 (NDDB) L: 11.50-12 L: 15.50-16
M: 7.50-8 L: 9.50-10.50 M: 9.50-10 M: 12-13
M: 7.50-8

Farmer Group Leader/ Collection Supermarket
f) Consolidator Centre
L: 9-9.50 L: 10-10.50 L: 14-15

Farmer Collection Supermarket
g) Centre
L: 10-10.50 L: 14-15

*Commission Agent

5.2.1 Cost of Cultivation

Investigation at the field level indicated that cultivation practices of farmers supplying
to organized retailers and farmers not doing so were different. Therefore, interviews
were held with both categories of farmers to understand farming practices and
differences in the costs, if any, of cultivation.

Table 5.1 provides the number of cauliflowers planted and harvested by the farmer
differentiated as between the various channels to which he sells his produce.

57

Table 5.1: Sowing Patterns of Farmers

Cauliflowers Planted and Harvested per Acre

First Buyer or Market of the Farmer
Number of
Cauliflowers
Mandi Wholesaler Shandi NDDB Consolidator Retailer

I Total planted 18000 18000 18000 18000 15000 12000
Numbers
II
harvested
(a) Large 6000 6000 6000 6000 10000 7000

(b) Medium 4000 4000 4000 4000 3000 2500

(c) Small 2000 2000 2000 2000 1000 1500

Total 12000 12000 12000 12000 14000 11000
16
III Wastage 6000 6000 6000 6000 1000 1000

Source: Compiled from interviews conducted by ICRIER

A farmer who does not supply to an organized retailer, directly or through a
consolidator, seems to sow as many as 18,000 heads per acre of land. Farmers who do
supply to organized retailers stated that sowing fewer heads ensures better quality
produce. The farmers also stated that retailers too recommend the sowing of not more
than 15,000 heads on an acre of land. Farmers who do not supply to organized
retailers are aware that the crop yields bigger and better quality heads when fewer
numbers are sown. However, they stated that greater numbers meant more flowers to
sell. Interestingly, as per information collected and tabulated above, wastage is the
highest among the farmers who are not associated with organized retailers. Farmers
associated with organized retailers seem to not only have low wastage but also better
quality yields.

Table 5.2 puts down the costs of cultivation per acre of different farmers categorized
by the first buyer or market that they sell to. The costs of cultivation for farmers
supplying to the mandi, wholesaler, shandi or the NDDB market are the same. The
differences arise in commissions payable and charges payable for transport and
loading and/or offloading. All costs, except commission, are expressed in rupees.
Commission is expressed in terms of percentage of the selling price.

17
From Table 5.2 it is evident that the farmer, who supplies to the consolidator (who
in turn supplies to the organized retailer), incurs the highest cost for crop care.
However, that farmer also has a fair number of “large” cauliflowers and low wastage.
The same is true of a farmer supplying to an organized retailer directly. The farmers

16
Wastage here refers to the number of cauliflower heads that are not fit to be sold or consumed.
Some farmers however do choose to feed the same to cattle.
17
The consolidator is sometimes also referred to as the group leader.

58

who are not associated with organized retailers spend only half of what their
counterparts do on crop care. It is perhaps because of this that the quality of the yield
varies substantially.

Table 5.2 Cost of Cultivation of Cauliflower per Acre

Stages of the First Buyer or Market of the Farmer
Supply Chain
Mandi Wholesaler Shandi NDDB Consolidator Retailer

Cost of Cultivation
Land
10,600 10,600 10,600 10,600 10,100 13,400
preparation
Crop care 7,100 7,100 7,100 7,100 20,750 12,325

Labour 2,800 2,800 2,800 2,800 9,000 4,600

Total 20,500 20,500 20,500 20,500 39,850 30,325

Logistics
Loading/
300 0 0 0 0 0
Offloading
Transport 1000 0 200 500 0 0

Total 1,300 0 200 500 0 0

Commission 10% 0 0 0 0 0
Total Cost
(excluding 21,800 20,500 20,700 21,000 39,850 30,325
commission)

5.2.2 Farmer’s Profit

Table 5.3 computes farmer’s profit. Costs of production in column two of the table is
inclusive of the 10 per cent commission that is payable by the farmer to the
commission agent. A 10 per cent commission has been computed on the sale proceeds
received by the farmer for a large, medium, and small head of cauliflower and the
total of the three has been added to the cost of cultivation value given in Table 5.2.
The costs of production of those farmers selling either directly or through the
consolidator to the organized retailer in the value chain (f) and (g) also show an
increase in the cost of production. These farmers typically sell their large heads to the
organized retailer and use value chain (a) to sell the rest of their produce at the mandi.
The cost of production of the farmers using value chains (f) and (g) is also inclusive
of costs incurred for selling a part of their produce at the mandi.

59

Table 5.3: Farmer’s Profit for Cauliflower

Cost of
Prices Received (in Rs.) Sales Proceed (in Rs.)
Production per Total Sales Total Profit Per
Value
Acre Proceed (in Profit Head
Chain
(in Rs.) Large Medium Small Large Medium Small Rs.) (in Rs.) (in Rs.)

(a) 29,400 9 4.5 2 54,000 18,000 4,000 76,000 46,600 3.88

(b) 20,500 9.5 7 1.5 57,000 28,000 3,000 88,000 67,500 5.62

(c) 20,500 11 7 3 66,000 28,000 6,000 1,00,000 79,500 6.62

(d) 20,700 10 7 5 60,000 28,000 10,000 98,000 77,300 6.44

(e) 21,000 10.5 8 1.5 63,000 32,000 3,000 98,000 77,000 6.41

(f) 40,350 9.5 8 1.5 95,000 24,000 1,500 1,20,500 80,150 5.72

(g) 30,825 10.5 8 1.5 73,500 20,000 2,250 95,750 64,925 5.90

Note: See Chart 5.1 for Supply Chains (a) to (g).

60

It is evident from the above table that the farmer using value chain (a) makes far less
profit per flower than a farmer using any of the other chains. This is despite the fact
that the costs of production of the farmer using the mandi is significantly lower than a
farmer who produces cauliflower to supply to an organized retailer. The reason why a
farmer using chain (c) is better off than all others is because the final price paid by the
consumer in that chain is significantly higher than all other chains. The farmer is able
to absorb some of this added margin. With the exception of this particular value chain,
it is justified to infer from all other supply chains that the profit per flower decreases
with the increase in the number of intermediaries in the supply chain.

5.2.3 Profit Margin for Each Player in the Supply Chain

Chart 5.2 depicts the share of margin of each player. Shares have been computed as a
proportion of the selling price to the consumer in each respective chain, for one large
cauliflower.

Chart 5.2: Share of Profit for Farmer, Intermediary and Retailer in the
Consumer Price of Cauliflower

g 19% 51% 30%

19% 44% 7% 30%
f
Cost of
11% 55% 9% 25%
e
Production
17% 83%
d Farmer
9% 38% 24% 29%
c Intermediary
18% 61% 21%
Retailer
b
15% 41% 9% 34%
a
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

While here it is true that the farmer does receive a reasonable share of the selling price
in all the chains, it is also true that he could receive more if there is less number of
intermediaries. The value chains (b) and (e) are used scarcely, and value chain (d) has
the farmer selling directly to the consumer. In value chain (f) and (g), where the
farmer is linked to the organized retailer, he receives a relatively higher share of the
selling price, compared to value chain (a) which is the traditional mandi channel.

5.3 Farmer Survey Results

The details of the methodology for the farmer survey are provided in Annex 4.

The analysis of the survey results has been organized as follows:

1. Farmer profiling
a. Education
b. Land ownership and irrigation facility
c. Asset ownership
d. Vehicle ownership
e. Availing of credit

2. Quantitative advantages (profitability of the farmer)

3. Qualitative advantages

5.3.1 Farmer Grouping

A two-way grouping of farmers was adopted. Group one was used for profiling the
farmers and computing the costs of cultivation. Group two was used to compute the
costs of transaction.

Group one is a mutually exclusive grouping of farmers based on where the farmer
sells the majority of his produce. Of the 197 farmers surveyed, 145 supply the
majority of their produce to the mandi, 12 to the retailers’ collection centre, 8 through
the consolidator to organized retail, two to the Safal mandi, 26 to the wholesaler, and
the remaining four to local villagers, and the shandi at Bangalore city.

Group two is a non-mutually exclusive grouping of farmers based on the choice of the
marketing channels adopted by the farmer for the sale of their produce. Each group
contained the number of farmers opting to sell their produce, irrespective of the share
of the sale of produce, through the respective channel. Of the farmers that were
surveyed 171 farmers sell some part of their produce to the commission agent at the
mandi, 24 farmers sell some part to the organized retailer directly, 20 farmers sell a
part of the share to the organized retailer through a consolidator, 65 farmers sell some
share of their produce to the wholesaler, and 22 sell a part of their produce to local
villagers and at the shandi. Interestingly, there were only two farmers amongst those
surveyed that used the Safal mandi as a marketing channel to sell their produce.

Table 5.4: Farmer Grouping

Shandi
Commission Collection Safal
Consolidator Wholesaler & Local Total
Agent Centre Mandi
Villager
For Profiling/
Cultivation
Cost 145 12 8 2 26 4 197
calculation
(Group One)
For Calculation
of Costs of
Sales 171 24 20 2 65 22 304
transactions
(Group Two)

Source: DRS-ICRIER Retailer Survey 2007

62

5.3.2 Farmer Profiling

Education Level

Table 5.5 shows the education level of the farmers opting for any marketing channel.
The farmers selling to the collection centre directly or through a consolidator seem to
have a relatively larger proportion with an education equivalent to the secondary or
intermediate level.

Table 5.5: Level of Education of Head of Farmer Households (%)

Shandi
Education Commission Collection Safal & Local
Overall Consolidator Wholesaler
level Agent Centre Mandi Villager

No. of
197 145 12 8 2 26 4
Farmers
No. of
100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Farmers (%)

Illiterate 12 15 0 0 0 4 0

Literate but
no formal 24 22 42 38 50 15 50
schooling
Primary/ up
to 5th 29 29 33 13 50 31 25
standard
Secondary/
up to 10th 28 30 17 25 0 31 25
standard
Intermediate/
up to 12th 6 3 8 25 0 12 0
standard

Diploma 1 1 0 0 0 4 0

Some
college, but 1 0 0 0 0 4 0
not graduate

Source: DRS-ICRIER Retailer Survey
2007

Land Ownership and Irrigation

It was found from the survey that farmers supplying to the organized outlets through a
consolidator and farmers opting to sell to the Safal mandi own larger land holdings
than those selling to other outlets (Table 5.6). Also, in the case of farmers supplying
either directly or through the consolidator to the organized outlets, their land is well
irrigated.

63

Table 5.6: Land Ownership (Owned and Leased)

Shandi&
Land Commission Collection Safal
Overall Consolidator Wholesaler Local
Ownership Agent Centre Mandi Villager
No. of
197 145 12 8 2 26 4
Farmers
Size of
operated
4.43 4.49 4.42 9.38 9.5 2.33 3.75
total land
(in acres)
Operated
Land
0.07 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
leased-out
(in acres)
Operated
Owned
4.36 4.39 4.42 9.38 9.5 2.31 3.75
Land (In
acres)
Operated
Lease-In 0.07 0.1 0 0 0 0.02 0
Land
% Area
under 51 60 77 61 42 80 60
irrigation

2007

Asset Ownership and Vehicle Ownership

The farmers associated directly with organized retail also seem to be better endowed
with assets. The most common form of irrigation in the area seems to be through
borewell and a large part of the surveyed farmers own a tractor too (Chart 5.3).

Chart 5.3 : Asset Ownership (in %)

Chart 6.3: Asset Ownership (in % )

120

100
Tractor
80
Pump set
Valu

60 Bore well
e

Cart Sprayer
40

20

0

First Buye r/Ma rke t

A major feature in ownership of assets is that farmers associated directly or indirectly
with organized retail own four-wheelers. It is through these four-wheelers that farmers
transport their produce, while other farmers incur costs for transport hiring (Chart
5.4).
Chart 5.4 : Vehicle Ownership (in %)

Chart 6.4: Vehicle Ownership (in % )

120

100

80
4 Wheeler

Value 60 2 Wheeler
Phone
40 Bicycle

20

0
Overall Commission Collection Consolidator Safal Mandi Wholesaler
Agent Centre Shandi
& Local
Villager

First Buyer/Market

Credit Availability

Farmers avail of two kinds of credit for: (a) personal needs, and (b) cultivation. A
common perception has been that most farmers prefer to go to the village money
lender or to the commission agent for loans. While this seems to be true in the case of
personal loans, most farmers seem to approach the banks for agricultural operations
(Table 5.7).

Table 5.7: Sources of Finance for Cultivation

Shandi&
Agriculture Commission Collection Safal
Loan Agent Centre Mandi
Villager
No. of farmers 197 145 12 8 2 26 4
% Availing of
42 45 75 0 0 19 100
credit
Source of Loan (Yes, %)
Bank 40 42 75 0 0 15 100
Village lender 1 2 0 0 0 0 0
Commission
0.5 1 0 0 0 0 0
agent
Wholesaler 0.5 0 0 0 0 4 0
% Possessing
Bank 62 61 92 93 100 46 100
Account

Farmers who deal with organized retail directly avail themselves of most number of
loans in general and also the most number of loans from the bank. Most of them have
bank accounts. However, for personal loans, they do not approach banks but
surprisingly, wholesalers (Table 5.8).

Table 5.8: Sources of Finance for Personal Need

Shandi&
Personal Loan Overall Consolidator Wholesaler Local
Agent Centre Mandi
Villager
No. of farmers 197 145 12 8 2 26 4
% Availing
8 7 17 13 0 8 0
personal loans
Sources of loan (yes, %)
Commission
3 3.5 0 0 0 0 0
agent
Wholesaler 5 3.5 17 13 0 8 0

2007

5.3.3 Quantitative Advantages

While there are several factors that help the farmer in choosing a marketing channel,
the primary driver is profitability. A farmer chooses a particular channel depending on
the channel’s profitability. Organized retailers too claim that they aid the farmer in
increasing the latter’s profitability by not only offering them a better price but also by
saving on their transaction cost.

Price Advantage

Table 5.9 clearly indicates that the farmer associated with organized retail does get a
better price for a large head of cauliflower. This is however not necessarily true in the
case of medium and small heads. This is because the organized retailer usually buys
only large heads.

Table 5.9: Average Price Received by Farmer per Head of Cauliflower

Commission Collection Safal Whole- Shandi at Local
Consolidator
Agent Centre Mandi saler Bangalore Villagers

No. of farmers 171 24 20 2 65 7 15
Average price received per head
Large 12.40 12.68 13.44 0 12.15 14.00 12.83
Medium 7.68 7.95 7.22 0 7.50 8.00 7.50
Small 3.45 3.37 3.33 0 3.25 3.00 3.00
Mixed 7.57 8.40 10.54 8.39 7.82 8.46 7.11

66

Profitability of the Farmer

The survey attempted to capture the cost of production, cost of transaction, the
realization, and thus the profitability of the farmer.

Cost of Cultivation = Cost of Fertilizer + Cost of Pesticide + Cost of
Labour

Cost of Transaction = Cost of Loading + Cost of Transportation + Cost
of Unloading

Total Cost of Production = Cost of Cultivation + Cost of Transaction

Table 5.10 provides the breakdown of average cost, price realization, and profit per
head of cauliflower of a farmer supplying to each marketing channel. The data has
18
been collated from the survey results.

Table 5.10 : Profit per Head of Cauliflower (excluding commissions payable)

Shandi &
Consolidator Wholesaler Local
Agent Centre Mandi
Villagers
No. of
171 24 20 2 65 18
farmers
Input cost 1.23 1.07 1.36 1.5 1.36 1.11

Labour cost 0.9 0.73 0.99 1.4 0.61 1.06
Cost of
2.13 1.8 2.35 2.9 1.97 2.17
cultivation
Transaction
1.1 0.7 0.6 1 0.9 0.5
cost
Total cost 3.23 2.5 2.95 3.9 2.87 2.67
Price
7.0 8.0 9.6 8.0 8.64 7.42
realization
Profit 3.77 5.5 6.65 4.1 5.77 4.75

2007

The profitability is the lowest for the farmer selling to the commission agent at the
mandi and the highest for the farmer selling to organized retail through the
consolidator, despite his cost of production being the highest. The survey results seem
to corroborate the value chain analysis. The farmers supplying to organized retail
through the consolidator seem to invest a lot of money in crop care. However, as the
value chain analysis also suggested, the quality of produce of these farmers is far
better than their counterparts supplying to other channels. The transaction cost is the
highest for the farmer selling to the mandi and one of the lowest for the farmers
associated with organized retail.
18
The survey questionnaire contained detailed questions on costs of cultivation, shares of sale to each
marketing channel, prices received and number of heads sold. Average cost, price realization,
and profit were calculated based on the number of farmers using each marketing channel.

67

Commissions Paid by the Farmers

The above computations do not include the commissions that are paid to commission
agents by farmers. Table 5.11 below depicts the pattern of commission fees as
revealed from the survey.

Table 5.11: Commission Paid by Farmer

Consolidator
No. of
171 24 20 2 65 7 15
farmers
No. of
100 100 100 100 100 100 100
farmers (%)
Commission
% of Farmers paying Commission
Fee in %
25% 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 0
16% 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 0
10% 92.4 0 0 0 0 0 0
8% 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 0
6% 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0
5% 4.7 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 1.2 0 0 0 0 0 0
2007

Table 5.10 clearly indicates that it is only the farmer supplying to the commission
agent in the mandi who pays the commission. Ironically, the APMC Act states quite
clearly that all commissions that are paid to the commission agent are to be collected
19
from the buyer and not the seller (farmer). However, commission agents take their
share from not the buyer but from the farmer, and the commission is fixed largely at
10 per cent. If one were to deduct commissions payable too from the realization of
the farmer supplying to the mandi, his profit would drop even further making the
mandi the most unprofitable channel. It was earlier seen that the price realization too
is the highest for the farmers associated with organized retail. The above results
clearly illustrate that the farmer associated with organized retail stands to gain
considerably.

5.3.4 Qualitative Advantages

Share of Different Marketing Channels

Apart from the two farmers who sell their entire produce at the Safal mandi, it is the
farmers selling to the commission agent who sells the majority of their produce
through one channel (Table 5.12). The share that the farmer is unable to sell at the
mandi is usually sold to local villagers. Since organized retailers buy only large heads
of the cauliflower, farmers selling to those channels sell not more than 50 per cent of
their produce. The rest is usually sent either to the mandi or sold to wholesalers or

19
As told to the authors by an APMC official at the Kalashapalayam vegetable mandi at
Bangalore city.

68

local villagers. One major advantage that a farmer who sells to the mandi has over
the farmer who sells to the organized retailer appears to be that the former’s entire
produce, irrespective of the grade, can be sold in the mandi.

Table 5.12: Share of Produce Sold to Different Marketing Channels

Consolidator


No. of 171 24 20 2 65 7 15
farmers
Average %
share of
output sold 83 50 34 100 42 26 26
to that
channel

2007

Rejection

A related point that should be analysed is the rejection rate of produce. The
percentage of farmers reporting rejection is lower for the mandi channel in
comparison with the channel of the consolidator supplying to the organized retailer or
the wholesaler (Table 5.13). Surprisingly, no farmer reported any rejection at the
collection centre. In the case of farmers subject to rejection, the portion of rejection of
the produce is insignificantly low for all channels.

Table 5.13: Share of Rejection

Commission Collection Safal Whole Shandi at Local
Consolidator

No. of farmers 171 24 20 2 65 7 15
% Reporting
2.3 0 5 0 8 0 0
rejection
Rejection rate
0.09 0 0.04 0 0.02 0 0
(%)
If yes, Reasons for Rejection?

Too small 25 0 0 0 0 0 0
More than they
75 0 0 0 0 0 0
required
Discolouration
due to exposure 0 0 100 0 20 0 0
to the sun
Insect damage 0 0 0 0 80 0 0


69

The reason for rejection varies; while in other marketing channels, the rejection is due
to low quality, the primary reason for rejection at the mandi is that the supply was
greater than the demand.

Special Cultivation Practices

As stated already, cauliflower is very sensitive to climate. Excess exposure to sunlight
causes discolouration in the cauliflower. In order to prevent discolouration, farmers
either tie up leaves or cover the heads of the cauliflower with newspaper to prevent
exposure to sunlight. Most farmers adopt this practice. Table 5.14 shows that farmers
selling to the mandi follow this practice more than the farmers supplying to organized
retailers.

Table 5.14: Special Cultivation Practices

Shandi &
Agent Centre Mandi
Villager
No. of
197 145 12 8 2 26 4
farmers
Cover head
of
53 55 42 38 100 46 50
Cauliflower
(%)
At instruction from Whom? (Yes %)
Commission
40 48 20 0 0 17 50
Agent
Wholesaler 15 13 40 67 0 8 50
Supermarket
4 5 0 0 0 0 0
Agent
Consolidator 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
Yourself 36 29 40 33 100 75 0
Other 3 4 0 0 0 0 0
2007

Interviews with farmers revealed that those associated with organized retail are not
forced to adopt this practice as they are able to afford hybrid seeds which produce
good quality heads. However, some of them do cover the cauliflower heads in order to
protect the quality of those heads that are sold through alternate channels.

Grading

Contrary to popular belief, this survey reveals that commission agents at the mandi do
offer a premium price for better quality produce. Most farmers supplying to the
mandi, at their own initiative, grade their cauliflowers before sending them to the
mandi (Table 5.15).

70

Table 5.15 : Grading of Cauliflower

Commission Collection Safal Whole Shandi at Local
Consolidator
No. of farmers 171 24 20 2 65 7 15
No. of farmers
100 100 100 100 100 100 100
(%)
% Grading
63 79 30 0 48 43 60
cauliflower
If yes, whose decision was it? (in %)
Buyer asked for
46 68 83 0 52 0 0
it
It was farmers’
54 32 17 0 48 100 100
initiative
% of farmers
packing each 61 95 100 0 74 42 40
grade separately
2007

Farmers selling to organized retail too grade their produce, but this is done at the
request of the retailer or consolidator. The first level of sorting of cauliflowers occurs
at the farm at the hands of the farmer.

5.3.5 Conclusion

Direct procurement of produce from the farmer by organized retail is a recent
phenomenon. Organized retailers maintain that this helps in being able to procure
quality produce and offer fresher produce to the consumer. They also state that by
procuring directly from the farmer, they are able to bypass intermediaries, thereby
decreasing transaction costs. This results in not only reducing prices for the consumer
considerably but also increasing the farmers’ profitability.

While whatever has been mentioned above does hold true for the farmer, the biggest
advantage that the farmer has is the option of another marketing channel for his
produce. For many years, the farmer’s only choice of marketing channel has been the
mandi, which lacks transparency. The farmer also does not have any bargaining
power. Business is based only on trust and the farmer is under constant threat of being
deceived by the commission agent. While the survey results showed that price and
volume of sale is usually decided in advance through a verbal contract, it also showed
that there are a number of farmers who receive a price lower than what was promised.
Even though the APMC Act clearly states that commissions are not to be taken from
the farmer, in actual fact this does not seem to be the case. The farmers cannot risk
exposing the commission agents as he does not have an alternative channel through
which he could sell his produce.

The Safal mandi was expected to be an alternative channel through which the farmer
could sell his produce. Unfortunately the Safal mandi is boycotted by most farmers
and wholesalers, which leaves the farmer with the city mandi once again as the only
option. Hence the entry of organized retail provides the farmer the option to sell his

71

produce through another channel. With many organized retailers beginning to procure
produce directly, the farmer’s selling options also increases. When the farmer has the
option of selling through any of the channels, it increases his bargaining power.

While it is important for farmers to have multiple channels to choose from, it is
equally important to have both private and government players. The survey results
also indicated that there are some farmers, who sold to organized retail, also reported
having received a price lower than what was promised. The mode of business with
organized retailers is through verbal contracts and is again based on trust. The
solution therefore does not lie in doing away with the mandi completely. It lies in
making the mandi more efficient and in enforcing laws that are already in place to
protect the farmer’s interests. The NDDB Safal mandi facility in Bangalore has
excellent infrastructure but is underutilized. The Safal mandi model can be adopted
for all APMC mandis. This Report recommends the modernization of the APMC
mandis by providing better infrastructure in terms of closed spaces for trading, better
access roads and in also devising a suitable and effective waste disposal mechanism to
improve the hygiene in and around the mandi. Allowing only private players to exist
is at the risk of collusion between all organized retailers. Such a situation again leaves
the farmer with no alternative choice or bargaining power. However, if private players
and the mandi were to co-exist, the farmer stands no risk of deceit. This will ensure
transparency and efficiency. And most importantly, the farmer will get an enhanced
profit.

5.4 Manufacturers: Interview Report

One of the key stakeholders likely to be impacted by the growth in the size and
strength of organized retail are manufacturers and brand owners in the sectors under
study – FMCG and apparel. It is recognized that, while, organized retail will offer
many opportunities to brand owners and manufacturers, it will also pose several
challenges that these companies will need to gear up for. This study is an attempt to
understand how these companies view the advent of organized retail and its likely
impact on their businesses.

This section attempts to assess: (i) how large manufacturers or brand owners view the
likely impact – either positive or negative - of modern retail on their business; (ii)
how they are gearing up to leverage the opportunities that organized retail will throw
up; and (iii) efforts they are making to retain countervailing power as organized retail
becomes a more significant force in India.

5.4.1 Methodology

This survey was conducted by Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd. through one-to-one in-
depth interviews of large manufacturers using a semi-structured open-ended
questionnaire. A total of 12 companies operating in the FMCG and apparel categories
participated (Table 5.16). The companies interviewed were selected deliberately to
represent the leading companies with a significant presence in the FMCG and apparel
categories in India.

72

Table 5.16 : Participating Companies for Interview

FMCG Apparel (Textile & Clothing)
HUL Raymond
ITC Foods Madura Garments
Pepsi Foods Levi’s
Cargill India United Colors of Benetton
Glaxo Smith Kline FabIndia
United Spirits
Henkel

In each company, the interview was done with the CEO, the Category/Business Head
or the Head of Modern Trade/Retail.

5.4.2 Key Findings

1. At a macro level, manufacturers felt that the impact of modern retail will be
positive. According to them, the advent of organized retail in India was both
welcome and inevitable for the Indian economy. In their opinion, the benefits
that organized retail would bring by far outweigh the negative effects of
inadequate retail services in a country like India.

Some of the reasons cited for this positive impact were:

• Benefits for consumers: Organized retail will offer consumers several
benefits, such as wider product choice more in line with consumer needs,
lower prices, better shopping experience because of improved store ambience
and increased browseability, enhanced service, and quality levels.

• Greater job creation: Organized retail will create employment at several
levels. The most significant increase will be in front-end jobs for retail staff,
where the contribution of organized retail will be not only in the greater
number of the people employed but also in making jobs that were otherwise
considered “menial”, more dignified, thereby, giving even those without
higher educational qualifications a decent livelihood.

• Efficient supply chain: The robust sourcing and distribution network likely to
be set in place by modern trade would result in a more efficient supply chain
management -- reduced lead times, fewer stock outs, reduced wastage, and
consistent product quality.

• Survival of traditional retail: Manufacturers believe that both small and
large retailers would continue to co-exist in India. Small retailers account for
the bulk of retail sales today and will remain a significant force in the future
since growing consumption will itself warrant the growth of both organized

73

and traditional retail. Traditional retailers will also innovate, upgrade their
stores and enhance value-added services to retain and strengthen relationships
with their customers.

2. The likely direct impact on the business of manufacturers, however, will not
be entirely positive. The response of manufacturers interviewed to the likely
impact of growth of organized retail on their own businesses was, on the
whole, more guarded and less positive. The benefits that organized retail
would bring in terms of creating higher demand for their brands and greater
efficiency in the distribution system would need to be weighed against the
pressures on prices, margins, and the threat of competition from private label
brands.

3. Manufacturers anticipate several benefits.

• Organized retail will fuel growth and build efficiencies. Manufacturers felt
that the advent of modern retail will stimulate their growth as well. Initially,
this will be because of increased demand created by organized retailers in
order to fill retail shelf space, and, subsequently, because of increased
consumption created by the consumers’ exposures to categories and brands at
modern retail formats. They also felt that the need to service large buyers
demanding lower prices and greater efficiencies will force large manufacturers
to invest in people, processes, and technology to streamline their own
production and distribution operations.

• Organized retail will aid development of new FMCG categories.
Manufacturers anticipate that organized retail will help in the development of
new product categories – particularly higher priced categories, categories that
have a high degree of consumer involvement and those which benefit from
consumer touch and feel – like personal care products and eatables. Further,
since modern retail facilitates faster customer feedback, they will be able to
effect improvements in products and brands and “go to market” faster.

• Organized retail’s sourcing and distribution network will benefit
manufacturers. Manufacturers felt that, currently, most of organized retail is
operating through the traditional supply chain with its multiplicity of
intermediaries. As organized retail grows and large retailers have their
distribution centres (DC) and IT infrastructure in place, manufacturers will be
able to supply directly to these retailers. This would help reduce transaction
costs on logistics, packaging, credit, commissions, etc. Elimination of
intermediaries would also bring in more transparency in the flow of
operations.

Chart 5.5 and Chart 5.6 illustrate the traditional (current) supply chain and the
new supply chain that could emerge in the FMCG and apparel categories.

74

Chart 5.5 : Illustrative Supply Chain for Shampoos/Detergents

A. Current Supply Chain with more Intermediaries

0.5-2%
Commission for
the C&F
Company C&F Distributor

3-4 % Margin
for the
Back-end Distributors
5-7 % Margin
for the
Distributor
Wholesaler

2-3 % Margin
for the wholesaler

Front-end Consumer Retailer
10-15%
Margin
For the Retailer

B. Emerging Supply Chain

Manufacturer C&F
Agent

0.5-2%
Commission
Back-end for the
C&F agent

15-20%
Margin
For the Retailer
Consumers Retailer
Front-end

Chart 5.6 : Illustrative Supply Chain for Apparel

A. Current Supply Chain with more Intermediaries

Company /
Manufacturer Distributor

Buying 5% Margin for
Agent Distributors
Back-end 5% commission
for Buying agent
Franchisees

Company owned -
outlets/ large organized 30% Margin Multi brand
retailers for Franchisees outlets

30-32% Margin

for company owned 35% Margin for
outlets/large retailers Consumer Multi brand outlets
Front-end retailers

B. Emerging Supply Chain

Company/
Manufacturer

Back-end

38-40%
Retailers Margin
F- or
Retailers

Consumers
Front-end

Manufacturers felt that, in the future, modern retailers might have to be given
higher margins than traditional retailers but this would be compensated by the
larger volumes, and the more efficient, shorter supply chain. However, they do

not foresee that the traditional supply chain will ever die out or be completely
replaced for a long time to come. Since traditional retail will co-exist with
modern retail, so will traditional and modern supply chains.
4. But manufacturers anticipate several threats.

• The price pressure threat. Manufacturers anticipate that the growth of
organized retail will put pressure on their prices as large retailers are already
demanding lower prices in return for larger volumes. Manufacturers also face

76

the additional issue of delayed payments vis-à-vis large retailers that impacts
their profitability. Manufacturers felt that some of these price/payment
pressures arise from the underlying cost structure of large retailers who are
facing increase in costs in the entire value chain because of high real estate
prices and increased employee cost.

• The private label threat. Manufacturers anticipate that large retailers will
expend efforts on building their own store brands and will favour those brands
in building in-store visibility and allocation of shelf space. This will become
more of a threat as the point of consumer decision-making shifts from the
home to the shop floor as consumers build a preference for self-service
formats. The threat is somewhat mitigated in the short term by their belief that
modern retailers will tend to launch private labels more in the staples category,
where the presence of brands is currently low. Manufacturers also felt that
they have constantly battled strong regional/local brands successfully and that
private labels are another form of such competition. Also, modern retailers
will first face the arduous task of building strong, differentiated store brands
before developing and building their private label brands. The multiplicity of
categories in which private labels will need to be built also makes this task
harder for the retailers.

5. Manufacturers are gearing up to counter these threats in various ways.

• Reinforcing/building brand strength to help maintain countervailing
power. Manufacturers recognize that their most powerful counter to price and
private label threats is a strong brand. Therefore they felt that their brands
have strong consumer preference which would help them counter competition
from private label brands and give them more bargaining power since these
brands also generate footfalls for modern retailers. They, therefore, will
continue to focus on building strong brands (which they see as their area of
competence), allowing them to negotiate terms that are mutually beneficial,
collabourative, and lead to a “win-win” situation for both parties concerned.

• Increasing manufacturer’s own retail presence. Manufacturers are also
moving towards increasing their own retail presence in order to compete with
modern retailers. Apparel manufacturers, for example, are opening exclusive
showrooms to give their brands more visibility and to strengthen their position
in this competitive scenario.

• Helping small retailers. Most of the FMCG companies interviewed stated
that their companies were ready to assist small retailers by “adopting” them
and helping them upgrade service levels, systems, and operations. They
anticipate that, in the next few years, the number of such “adopted” stores
would almost double.

They believe that if small retailers also come forward and unite, they can more
effectively counter the competition posed by modern retail. Manufacturers
stated that they are encouraging kiranas to consolidate buying of products
from manufacturing companies as it would help small retailers build
economies and efficiencies in their scale of operations. Many retailers are
already coming forward to form these associations.

77

They think that kiranas need to learn several aspects of retailing – like store
promotions - from organized retailers and that they are ready to support
kiranas by developing promotional offers customized to their set of customers.

• Constituting dedicated teams internally to deal with modern retailers.
Manufacturers are creating dedicated teams of accounts and category
managers to deal with modern retailers. At the central/regional level they are
recruiting teams to manage relationships with modern retailers as well as plan
for new accounts. At the front end, dedicated teams are being constituted to
work on developing store promotions through modern retailers.

• Challenging times ahead for modern retailers too. Large manufacturers felt
that high rentals arising out of a shortage of real estate will be a challenge for
modern retailers and will affect their competitiveness vis-à-vis small retailers.

Manufacturers were of the opinion that, while modern retail is an exciting
phenomenon for small town consumers, in larger cities consumers want
convenience and so being present in the right location are even more critical in
these cities.

Finally, manufacturers strongly believe that retailing is a local business and
the large retailers will have to understand the local consumer’s tastes and
preferences and conduct extensive research to build their knowledge of local
markets and consumers.

5.4.3 Conclusion

At a macro level, the overall picture that emerges from interviews with large
manufacturers is largely positive regarding the likely impact of organized retail in
India. Manufacturers believe that organized retail would benefit society at large, more
so the end consumers -- in terms of better product choices and price – and farmers
because of higher and more stable price realization for their produce. More
employment opportunities will be generated. Present systems, IT and processes will
improve because of investments in infrastructure that are likely to be made by
organized retailers. The robust sourcing and distribution network of large retailers
would certainly help make the supply chain more efficient.

Manufacturers, however, are more guarded in their assessment of the likely impact of
organized retail on their own businesses. They anticipate that they will be subject to
price and competitive pressures as organized retail grows in importance. They are
gearing up to counter these pressures by strengthening their own brands, enhancing
their retail presence and collabourating with traditional retailers.

They believe, however, that both modern and traditional retailers will co-exist in India
for some time to come, as both of them have their own competitive advantages. The
kirana has a low- cost structure, convenient location, and customer intimacy. Modern
retail offers product width and depth and a better shopping experience.

With the Indian economy currently growing at 8-9 per cent annually, rising
consumption and the low per capita availability of retail space in India, manufacturers

78

believe that there is room for both modern and traditional retail in India for several
generations to come.

5.5 Small Manufacturers: Interview Report

In order to understand the impact of large organized retail on small manufacturers, a
survey was carried out among small-scale manufacturers in New Delhi. For this, small
manufacturers of FMCG, (packaged food products, toiletries, cosmetics, etc.) and
apparel were contacted and interviews held with the owners, directors, or senior
managers of those companies. ICRIER engaged Development and Research Services
(DRS) for carrying out these interviews. In total 20 manufacturers were interviewed
of which 19 were FMCG producers and one apparel manufacturer.

The list of small manufacturers and the checklist of questions asked are given in
Appendices 2 and 3, respectively.

5.5.1 Respondent Profile

Of the 20 respondents, 14 called themselves small-scale manufacturers, while six
referred to themselves as medium-scale manufacturers. Only three of them have all-
India coverage, while the remaining companies have regional operations. A few of
them were exporting their products to some countries. While most of these
manufacturers have been operating for 10 - 20 years, there was one who has been
operating for as long as 36 years.

The annual turnover of these participants varied from Rs. one million to as high as Rs.
100 million. Of these, six participants have an annual turnover between Rs. 10 - 20
million who were involved in manufacturing food products (cereals, pulses, spices,
flour, etc.), cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Three have an annual turnover of
Rs.1 - 1.5 million, while two have between Rs. 4-6 million. There has been one
participant who did not specify his turnover.

5.5.2 Interview Results

When asked about the size of the business that the manufacturers are planning to have
in the next five years, 18 responded that they will surely expand and grow in the next
five years. Most of them have plans to double their turnover. For this, they are
planning to increase their production and supply by increasing manpower and
machinery. In addition, they are willing to improve the product quality. Some of the
participants are also considering export options for which they have already begun
taking necessary action. Two participants, one dealing in food products and the other
in health products (soya milk, soya food, soya meal, etc.) even had plans to supply
their products to big organized outlets. One of them commented:

“My size of business will increase by two or three times, as I have planned to
supply to big organized outlets. Our main focus is now on big organized outlets.”

However, there were two respondents who felt that in the next five years their
business would go down drastically. This would be due to the advent of more MNCs
and organized retail outlets on one hand, and their lack of capability in advertising
their products for increasing sale, on the other hand. A comment made by a
participant has been:

79

“I cannot think of supplying my products to organized outlets and my product
demand and my turnover is going down. My sale has reduced a lot, so I do not
think that my business is going to survive after five years.”

Participants were asked to give their opinion with respect to large players entering
modern retail and whether they foresee any changes in their business with respect to
large players entering modern retail. It was found that 12 participants were not in
favour of large players entering into modern retail and said that the organized retailers
are their competitors as they may carry products of large brands / manufacturers or
their own private labels and this may affect their business prospects. The remaining
eight respondents however felt that the advent of organized retail was good as this
would help them increase their sales. These participants were ready to work with
them. According to one:

“They are good players in the market and we are also planning to do business
with them.”

Eight out of the 20 participants did not foresee any changes in their business
operations due to large players entering modern retail. But there were 12 participants
who did foresee changes in their business. Out of these 12, two thought that there
would be a huge reduction in their business and they may even have to shut down
their operations very soon. Ten participants felt that though organized retailers are
their competitors, their business would increase, as already they had started taking
actions like providing better quality service to their clients. They are focusing on
improving the brand name, quality, variety along with making products available at
reasonable and affordable prices. A few were even thinking of new marketing
strategies to advertise their products and get a better hold over the market.

On enquiring whether there was any change in their bargaining power, 17 participants
said that till now they have not experienced any change. One participant commented:

“There has been no change in the bargaining power as we have good customers
and suppliers and have a healthy relation with them.”

When asked about the present payment terms and conditions, it was found that
presently all except one participant had both cash and credit based transactions. But in
case of credit-based transaction, the manufacturers provide the retailers with 30 days
payment time, while some extended credit up to 60 days. Some even charged an
interest of 2-3.5 per cent per month after the expiry of 10-20 days of grace period
from their clients which mostly include small unorganized retailers. None of the
participants reported any change in the payment terms in the last couple of years.

Ten participants had more of credit-based clients while only eight had cash-based
clients. There were two who said that they had provided both cash and credit services
but did not say which one was more. In the words of a respondent:

“The credit sale right now is 60 per cent where the time provided is 20-30 days
and cash sale is 40 per cent. There has been no change in these terms and
conditions.”

80

Nine out of 20 participants said that there is a competition threat to them due to the
private label brands of large organized retailers, but till so far, a very small effect of it
has been noticed. One of the manufacturers commented:

“Competition threat is very much there, not just from organized retailers but also
from large manufacturers and MNCs. Earlier my products were famous with
children whereas now children ask for brands like Lays, Kurkure, etc. This is a
threat and it’s killing my business.”

However 11 participants responded that they did not consider entry of private label
brands of large organized retailers a threat as they had their own set of customers who
are mostly unorganized retailers. Moreover, as a result of their focus on quality,
people trusted their products. Quality was something they would never compromise
with, and so they would never face any problem in the future. A respondent
commented:

“Though there is competition, our prompt service and dealing enables us to
maintain the trust of our customers.”

Sixteen out of 20 respondents are thinking of future expansion of their business to
meet the growing demands of large retailers. For doing this, they are planning to
increase their production with new and improved machines, more manpower and
spread their customer base beyond their region. They are also working upon
improving their service and quality. Two participants are also planning to sell their
products to big organized outlets in the near future. A participant commented:

“Right now our plan is to supply our products to all the big organized outlets. We
have started in Delhi with Big Bazaar, and will surely increase this to all over
India.”

When asked if their company was facing any price pressure from large retailers, 13
out of 20 participants said that they did not face it while the remaining seven said that
they faced some pressure.

Eighteen participants said that their company was facing no problems in terms of
sourcing and distribution with the advent of large players in modern retail.

Among the surveyed participants, 13 had around 10-50 employees in their
manufacturing units in back end and production. All except two were planning to
increase the number of their employees and some even planned to double considering
the increase in demand because of growth of organized retail.

There were two respondents who said that they would have to reduce their manpower
employment to a large extent as the demands of their products were going down. In
fact, they even said that they would have to shut down their business very soon.

81

6. Future Scenario in Retailing

6.1 Introduction

The emergence of organized retail has been a recent phenomenon in the country,
starting in the late 1990s. Its growth till 2006-07 was reasonably fast, at nearly 20 per
cent per annum during the past three years. Unorganized retail also grew but at a
slower pace of nearly 11 per cent per annum. There are signs that the growth of
organized retail has accelerated in 2007-08 and is expected to gather further
momentum during the coming years. This chapter highlights the following issues: (a)
industrial estimate of future growth in total retail during the next five years; (b)
relative share of organized vs. unorganized sectors; (c) the amount of additional
investments that are envisaged in retail in the medium term; (d) estimates of
employment generation; (e) geographical penetration of organized retail; (f)
projection of real estate availability; and (h) the concentration in retail industry.

6.2 Growth of Retail and its Distribution

The NCAER, based on its Market Information Survey of Households (MISH), has
projected that the consuming class consisting of the “aspirers”, the middle class and
the rich with annual household income of above Rs. 90,000 will rise from about 336
million in 2005-06 to 505 million in 2009-10. This implies a huge growth potential of
retail in the country. The sales of the Indian retail industry have been about US$ 322
billion (Rs. 14,574 billion) in 2006-07, amounting to about 35 per cent of India’s
GDP. It is the seventh largest retail market in the world. Indian retail industry is
projected to grow to about US$ 590 billion by 2011-12 and further to over US$ 1
trillion by 2016-17 (Chart 6.1).

Chart 6.1 : Size of Indian Retail (in US$ bn)

Char t 7.1: Siz e of Indian Re tail

12 0 0

10 11
10 0 0

800

59 0
600

400
322

200

0
2006- 0 7 2 0 11- 12 2 0 16 - 17

Source: Technopak Analysis, CSO and other sources.

This works out to an annual compound growth rate of about 13 per cent during 2007-
1
12 and a slower 11 per cent during 2012-17.

In India, organized retail contributed roughly 4 per cent of the total Indian retail in
2006-07, which is very small even compared with most of the emerging market
economies. However, during the coming years, it is projected to grow at a compound
rate of about 45-50 per cent per annum and is estimated to contribute 16 per cent to
the total Indian retail by 2011-12 (Chart 6.2).

Chart 6.2: Projection of the Share of Organized Retail

2006-07 2011-12

Organized, Organized, 16%
4%

Unorganized,
Unorganized, 84%
96%

Total Retail: US$ 322 billion Total Retail: US$ 590 billion
Source: Technopak Analysis.

Interestingly, this huge growth in organized retail does not involve a decline in the
business of unorganized retail; the sales of the unorganized sector is envisaged to
grow by about 10 per cent per annum, from US$ 308.8 billion in 2006-07 to US$
495.6 billion in 2011-12.

6.3 The Retail Real Estate Scenario

The real estate sector in India has historically been unorganized and dominated by
opportunistic development rather than any planned creation of quality space. There
were various factors that impeded organized development, such as: (i) absence of a
centralized title registry providing title guarantee; (ii) lack of uniformity in local laws
and their application; (ii) non-availability of bank financing; (iii) high interest rates
and transfer taxes; and (iv) lack of transparency in transaction values. Also, there
were very few takers of quality space, as retail was also dominated by unorganized
players. The unorganized players prefer to operate from neighbourhood convenience
stores.

Whilst the Indian real estate market still lacks transparency and liquidity compared to
more mature real estate markets, there are various factors which could expedite the
process of professionalism of the industry. Some of these factors are:

• Changing profile of the business consumers, like large multinational
companies (MNCs) and professional Indian corporates, who would prefer to
deal with companies with proper credentials;
• Listing of many developers on stock exchanges, both in India and abroad, and
t
also raising funds through global institutions;

• Increasing transactions facilitated through professional banks, who would
once again verify all the records before releasing any funds.

The nature of demand is also changing with the entry of large corporates into
organized retailing. These large corporates cater to higher consumer aspirations
resulting from larger disposable incomes, increased globalization, and greater
awareness levels.

The organized retail real estate sector has grown from a miniscule 0.9 million sq. ft. in
1999 to 28 million sq. ft. in 2006. The growth till now has been at a scorching pace of
over 60 per cent per annum for the last seven years (though on a smaller base) and is
expected to grow at least at 50 per cent per annum in the next 4-5 years. The last
financial year witnessed a number of retail centric projects.

6.4 Organized Retail Investment

Until a couple of years ago, the Indian organized retail market was either dominated
by the apparel brands or regional retail chains. However, the scenario has changed
dramatically. The sector has attracted not only the large Indian corporates but also
received the attention of large global players.

As per Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd. estimates, investments amounting to
approximately US$ 35 billion are being planned for the next five years or so (Table
6.1). Of this, about 70 per cent is expected to come from top seven players including
Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, Bharti-Wal-Mart, Future Group and others.
Also, it is estimated that about 40 per cent of the total investments will be contributed
by foreign players including Wal-Mart, Metro, Auchan, Tesco and many others,
signifying the importance that the international community is attaching to the Indian
retail opportunity.

In short, India is attempting to do in 10 years what took 25–30 years in other major
markets in the world and shall bypass many stages of “evolution” of modern retail.
India is likely to see the emergence of several “innovative” India-specific retail
business models and retail formats during the coming years.

Table 6.1: Investment Plans of Major Retailers in the Next 5-7 Years

Retailer Estimated Investment (US$ billion)
R1 6.0+
R2 4.0+
R3 2.5+
R4 2.0+
R5 2.0+
R6 2.0+
R7 2.0+
R8 1.5+
R9 – R50 13.0+
Total 35+
Note: Retailers’ identities are not revealed for maintaining anonymity.
Source: Technopak Analysis

84

6.5 Share of Investments by City

Of the US$ 35 billion investment being planned over next 5-7 years, almost all the
investment (i.e. 93 per cent) is slated for the urban market. Though the investment is
expected to be across the spectrum of all types of cities, a large proportion (more than
60 per cent) is slated for the top 25 cities falling in category A-type or above .

AAA cities will include the markets of NCR Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, while AA
cities will include the metros including Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, and
Ahmedabad. A typical A-class city will include cities like Surat, Nagpur, Indore,
Vadodara, etc., while B+ cities will be represented by Nashik, Rajkot, Agra,
Jallandhar, etc. Kota, Bhubaneswar, Bilaspur will be a B-class cities, while Sonepat,
Alwar, Tumkur, etc will categorized as C-type and D- type cities.

Chart 6.3: Investment Estimates by City Category (%)

C D
B
7% 2% AAA
6%
30%

B+
23%

AA
A
17%
15%

Urban investments are slated to be across all modern formats although the majority
share will be taken by supermarkets and hypermarkets. The share of hypermarkets is
expected to increase in the lower-tier cities, as a single hypermarket would be able to
cater to a significant proportion of the demand in smaller cities.

Chart 6.4: Investment Estimates by Format (%)

Other Form ats *
(includes apparel,
footwear, watches
, furniture &
furnis hing,
toys etc.), 23%

Superm arket, 34%
Warehous e , 9%

Departm ent Store ,
2%

Hyperm arket, 32%


6.6 Expected Share of Top Players in Indian Retail

The top 50 players are geared to take about 39 per cent share of total retail in the top
150 cities. These top players will dominate the market in Indian retail. This high
concentration in the retail market is in tune with international trends. For example, in
the US, the top five retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, and
Ahold, account for about 40 per cent of the US grocery market.

Table 6.2: Retail Market for 150 Cities in 2011-12

Market Share
Total market (Top 150 cities) 100%
Share of top 7 players 31%
Share of next 43 8%
Share of top 50 players 39%

Source: Technopak Analysis

6.7 Retail Space Break-up by Category

The total new retail space required to facilitate the proposed investment will be of
around 487 million sq. ft. across all retail formats. Technopak Advisers Pvt. Ltd.
estimate that 50 per cent of the space would need to be catered by the shopping malls
and rest by stand-alone locations in formats like supermarkets. Technopak Advisers
Pvt. Ltd. also estimate that with 143 million sq. ft. of mall space being planned over
the next five years, it still leaves the retail industry with a shortage of more than 40
per cent in mall space. Most of the large format retailers will find it difficult in getting
adequate real estate and it is expected that they may end up creating space for retail on
their own. The required retail space for organized retail is expected to be around 7-8
times the current space available for organized retail. Hypermarkets and supermarkets
will take approximately 62 per cent of the retail space (Chart 6.5a). About 51 per cent
of new retail space is expected to come up in A-class and above type cities which are
already crowded (Chart 6.5b).

Chart 6.5 a: Retail Space Estimates by Format (%)

Speciality,
Department &
Others
22%

Hypermarket
44%

Cash and Carry
16%

Supermarket
18%

86

Chart 6.5 b: Retail Space Estimates by City Type (%)

C D AAA
3%
15% 24%

B
9%

AA
14%
B+
A
22%
13%


6.8 Employment Growth

As per the industry estimates of employment of one person per 350-400 sq. ft. of
retail space, about 1.5 million jobs will be created in the front-end alone in the next
five years. Assuming that 10 per cent extra people are required for the back-end, the
direct employment generated by the organized retail sector in India over the coming
five years will be close to 1.7 million jobs. This constitutes nearly 5 per cent of the
existing employment of about 37 million in the retail industry. Indirect employment
generated on the supply chain to feed this retail business will add further to this
already high number. While a boon for the Indian economy in terms of the
employment generation, at the same time it is a significant challenge for the organized
retail industry to gain access to such a high number of trained manpower in such a
short period of time.

Table 6.3: Employment Generation by Organized Retail during 2007-12

Speciality &
Cash &
Hypermarket Supermarket Department Total
Carry
Store
New retail space
218 86 76 107 487
(Million sq. ft.)
Retail space per
floor staff (sq. 350 200 450 350
ft.)
No. of front-end
623 430 169 306 1527
staff (‘000)
No. of back-end
62 43 17 31 153
staff (‘000)
Total manpower
685 473 186 336 1680
(‘000)

Source: Technopak Analysis and Industry Estimates

6.8.1 New Retail Stores

Given the expected investments and future projections of growth of retail area, there
will be a huge increase in the number of stores in the next five years. It is estimated
that around 44,500 new stores of different formats will open (Table 6.4).

Table 6.4: Number of New Organized Retail Stores during 2007-12

Cash & Department Speciality
Hypermarket Supermarket
Carry Store Store

New retail space
218 86 76 32 75
(million sq. ft.)

Average store
80,000 4,000 1,50,000 40,000 4,000
size (sq. ft.)

No. of stores 2,725 21,500 507 803 18,725

Source: Technopak Analysis and Industry Estimates.

88

7. Policy Recommendations

7.1 Main Findings of the Study

The major findings of this study are:

• Retail trade is expected to grow at 13 per cent per annum during 2007-12. Its
value will then be about US$ 590 billion in 2011-12. With this expected
increase it is inconceivable that the rising demand would be effectively met by
the unorganized sector. As in other countries, this provides the basis for the
expansion of organized retail.
• The share of organized retail in total trade has risen in all developing countries
in recent years. In China it was 20 per cent in 2006, Brazil 36 per cent, South
Korea 15 per cent, Indonesia 30 per cent, Poland 20 per cent, Thailand 40 per
cent, and Vietnam 22 per cent.
• The international experience shows that in nearly all emerging economies,
governments have taken policy measures to improve the operating conditions
for unorganized retail.
• Unorganized retailers in the vicinity of organized retailers have been adversely
affected in terms of their volume of business and profit. Unorganized retail
has maintained employment levels perhaps as a result of competitive response.
• The adverse impact on unorganized retailers tapers off over time.
• The major factors that attract unorganized retailers to consumers are
proximity, goodwill, credit sales, bargaining, loose items, convenient timings,
and home delivery.
• There is clear evidence of a competitive response from traditional retailers
who are gearing up to meet the threat from organized retailers.
• While kirana stores are trying to increase credit sales to retain customers, their
own reliance on institutional finance remains very low. This has a clear policy
implication.
• Consumers have generally gained with the emergence of organized outlets
through the availability of better quality products, lower prices, one-stop
shopping, choice of additional brands and products, family shopping, and
fresh stocks.
• Lower income consumers have saved more from purchases at organized
outlets.
• Intermediaries do not appear to be adversely affected so far although there are
signs of their losing business in products such as, fruit, vegetables, and
apparel.
• Farmers have benefited through direct procurement by organized retailers as
this provides an alternative channel for selling their produce with better
revenue realization.
• Organized retailers are themselves investing heavily or through third-party
logistics companies on temperature-controlled warehouses, cold-chain
transport, etc., to modernize the distribution system.
• Large manufacturers have started feeling the impact of organized retail
through price pressure and competition from private labels of organized
retailers.

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• Small manufacturers, in general, are yet to feel any major impact of organized
retail as a large number of unorganized retailers continue to constitute their
clientele. They are however, optimistic of future expansion of business with
the spread of organized retail.

These results are not indicative of the countrywide scenario, but only of mega-and
mini-metro cities around a limited number of organized retail outlets. The results of
the control-sample survey conducted for the study indicate that traditional retailers are
not affected adversely even in these cities, away from organized outlets. For the
country as a whole, unorganized retail is growing at a reasonable rate and will
continue to do so for many years to come. Yet it is clear that the growth in demand
for retail business is likely to substantially exceed any possible supply response
coming exclusively from the unorganized retailers.

7.2 A Balanced Approach to Retail

India is at the crossroads with regard to the retail sector. Several emerging market
economies have gone ahead and reaped the benefits of modern retail. India is however
a latecomer to organized retail expansion and the picture still remains unclear as to its
future direction. The study advocates a balanced approach to retail and suggests that
the government plays a major role in shaping its future course.

There is no doubt that traditional retail has been performing a vital function in the
economy and is a significant source of employment. However, it suffers from huge
inefficiencies as a result of which consumers do not get what they want, and farmers
often get prices for their produce much below what is considered fair. In contrast,
organized retail provides consumers with a wider choice of products, lower prices,
and a pleasant shopping environment. It gives farmers a better alternative channel for
selling their products at a better price. The competition from organized retail has
affected the business of traditional retailers but they are making efforts to stay on. In
their struggle to face this competition, they are handicapped by a lack of access to
formal credit from commercial banks. As in other countries, government policy can
and should play an important role in modernizing the unorganized sector and improve
its competitiveness. On the other hand, a policy of protection of traditional retailers
by restricting organized retail will harm the growth prospects of the country by
foregoing the enormous benefits that are generated by organized retail.

7.3 Modernization of Unorganized Retail

The government should launch a time-bound “national kirana and wetmarket reform”
programme. The key elements of this programme should be the following:

1. Assist the formation of co-operatives or associations of kirana stores, which in
turn can undertake direct procurement of products from manufacturers and
farmers. By eliminating intermediaries, kirana stores can obtain their supplies
at lower prices, while farmers get better prices for their produce. The
European and US experience of co-operative retailing needs to be studied in
greater detail.
2. Encourage setting up of modern large cash-and-carry outlets, which could
supply not only to kirana stores but also to licensed hawkers at wholesale

90

rates. The case in China where the central government is using Metro Cash &
Carry to modernize the entire supply chain and source directly from farmers is
a case in point.
3. Make available credit at reasonable rates from banks and micro-credit
institutions for expansion and modernization of traditional retailers. While a
liberal branch expansion for Indian and foreign banks would help, the study
recommends the promotion of innovative banking solutions for unorganized
retail like Syndicate Bank’s lending for small business linked with the
collection of daily or weekly pigmy deposits (Annex 5).
4. Convert all uncovered wetmarkets to covered ones and modernize those
markets in a time-bound manner with emphasis on hygiene, convenience to
shoppers, proper approach roads, entry, exits, etc. In India, the route of
public-private partnerships (PPPs) is advocated for this purpose. PPPs should
be formed between the government and existing small shops on the pattern of
the “Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme” being successfully
undertaken to improve infrastructure in existing industrial clusters.
5. Facilitate the formation of farmers’ co-operatives to directly sell to organized
retailers. In this case, while the government could provide tax incentives and
capital subsidies, equity support should be avoided.

7.4 Regulation of Organized Retail

New restrictions on organized retailers are not advocated as this will dampen the
modernization efforts of traditional retail. However, the study stress the need for
organized retailers formulating certain “private codes of conduct” governing their
relationships with suppliers including manufacturers, wholesalers, and farmers. The
experience in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia could be studied in this regard. These
steps could be complemented by the Competition Commission enforcing rules against
collusion and predatory pricing as in the US, UK and France. The government may
also consider enacting legislation if that ensures the implementation of a code of
conduct by large organized retailers.

Organized retail is subject to a number of licensing requirements at the central, state,
and local levels that are cumbersome. A fresh look at the gamut of regulations is
called for with a view to simplifying and compressing the time taken for the issue of
permits. A move towards a nationwide uniform licensing regime for organized retail
in all states and union territories is suggested.

7.5 Modernization of APMC mandis

Modernization of government regulated markets in the states is suggested on the lines
on the NDDB Safal mandi model in Bangalore. The infrastructure of these markets
needs to be improved by providing closed places for trading, better access roads, and
also better hygiene with an effective waste disposal system.

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Annex 1: Unorganized Retail Universe 2006

The total number of traditional retailers is estimated to be 13 million by Technopak
Advisers Pvt. Ltd. The classification of the unorganized retail universe by category is
shown below.

Jewelry
Fruit & Vegetables
0.4%
Chemists Sellers

Furniture 4%
3% Food Stores
1% 1%
Cosmetics
2%
Hawkers Non Veg Stores
8% 1%

Kirana I
20%

Paan n Bidi Stores
14%

General Merchandise
2%

Hardware
2%

Furnishing
Footwear

1% CDIT 2%
2%
Apparel
6%
Kirana II
Modern Independent Stores 32%
0.2%


Categories of traditional retailers

• Fruit and Vegetable Sellers - Sells fruit and vegetables.

• Food Store - Reseller of bakery products. Also sells dairy and processed
food and beverages.

• Non -Vegetable Store - Sells chicken and mutton (supplemented by fish),
or predominantly fish.

• Kirana I - Sells bakery products, dairy and processed food, home and
personal care, and beverages.

• Kirana II - Sells categories available at a Kirana I store plus cereals,
pulses, spices, and edible oils.

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• Modern Independent Stores - Sells categories available at a Kirana II store
and has self- service. Operates single or several stores (but not an
organized chain of stores).

• Apparel – Sells men’s wear, women’s wear, innerwear, kids’ and infant
wear.

• Footwear – Sells men’s wear, women’s wear, and kid’s wear.

• CDIT (Consumer Durables & IT) – Sells electronics, small appliances,
durables, telecom, and IT products.

• Furnishing – Sells home linen and upholstery.

• Hardware - Sells sanitary-ware, taps and faucets, door fittings, and tiles.

• General Merchandize – Includes lightning, stationery, toys, gifts, utensils,
and crockery stores.

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Annex 2: Modern Retail Formats in India

Hypermarket

Typically varying between 50,000 sq. ft. and 1, 00,000 sq. ft., hypermarkets offer a
large basket of products, ranging from grocery, fresh and processed food, beauty and
household products, clothing and appliances, etc. The key players in the segment are:
the RPG Group's Giant (Spencer’s) hypermarkets, and Pantaloon Retail's Big Bazaars.

Cash-and-carry

These are large B2B focused retail formats, buying and selling in bulk for various
commodities. At present, due to legal constraints, in most states they are not able to
sell fresh produce or liquor. Cash-and-carry (C&C) stores are large (more than
75,000 sq. ft.), carry several thousand stock-keeping units (SKUs) and generally have
bulk buying requirements. In India an example of this is Metro, the Germany-based
C&C, which has outlets in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Department Store

Department stores generally have a large layout with a wide range of merchandise
mix, usually in cohesive categories, such as fashion accessories, gifts and home
furnishings, but skewed towards garments. These stores are focused towards a wider
consumer audience catchment, with in-store services as a primary differentiator. The
department stores usually have 10,000 - 60,000 sq. ft. of retail space. Various
examples include: (i) Shoppers' Stop, controlled by the K. Raheja Group, a pioneering
chain in the country's organized retail; (ii) Pantaloons, a family chain store, which is
another major player in the segment; (iii) Westside, the department store chain from
Tata Group's Trent Ltd; (iv) Ebony, a department store chain from another real-
estate developer, the DS Group; (v) Lifestyle, part of the Dubai-based retail chain,
Landmark Group; and (vi) the Globus department and superstore chain.

Supermarket

Supermarkets, generally large in size and typical in layouts, offer not only household
products but also food as an integral part of their services. The family is their target
customer and typical examples of this retailing format in India are Apna Bazaar,
Sabka Bazaar, Haiko, Nilgiri's, Spencer’s from the RPG Group, Food Bazaar from
Pantaloon Retail, etc.

Shop-in-Shop

There is a proliferation of large shopping malls across major cities. Since they are
becoming a major shopping destination for customers, more and more retail brands
are devising strategies to scale their store size in order to gain presence within the
large format, department or supermarket, within these malls. For example, Infinity, a
retail brand selling international jewellery and crystal ware from Kolkata's Magma
Group, has already established presence in over 36 department chains and exclusive
brand stores in less than five years. Shop-in-shops have to rely heavily on a very

94

efficiently managed supply chain system so as to ensure that stock replenishment is
done fast, as there is limited space for buffer stocks.

Speciality Store

Speciality stores are single-category, focusing on individuals and group clusters of the
same class, with high product loyalty. Typical examples of such retail format are:
footwear stores, music stores, electronic and household stores, gift stores, food and
beverages retailers, and even focused apparel chain or brand stores. Besides all these
formats, the Indian market is flooded with formats labelled as multi-brand outlets
(MBOs), exclusive brand outlets (EBOs), kiosks and corners, and shop-in-shops.

Category Killers – Large Speciality Retailers

Category killers focus on a particular segment and are able to provide a wide range of
choice to the consumer, usually at affordable prices due to the scale they achieve.
Examples of category killers in the West include Office Mart in the US. In the Indian
context, the experiment in the sector has been led by “The Loft”, a footwear store in
Powai, Mumbai measuring 18,000 sq. ft.

Discount Store

A discount store is a retail store offering a wide range of products, mostly branded, at
discounted prices. The average size of such stores is 1,000 sq.ft. Typical examples of
such stores in India are: food and grocery stores offering discounts, like Subhiksha,
Margin Free, etc. and the factory outlets of apparel and footwear brands, namely,
Levi’s factory outlet, Nike’s factory outlet, Koutons, etc.

Convenience Store

A convenience store is a relatively small retail store located near a residential area
(closer to the consumer), open long hours, seven days a week, and carrying a limited
range of staples and groceries. Some Indian examples of convenience stores include:
In & Out, Safal, amongst others. The average size of a convenience store is around
800 sq.ft.

Source: Technopak Advisors Pvt. Ltd.

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Annex 3: Typical Clearances Required for Retail Store

Operations – General List

A. General

1 Trade License.
2 NOC for Fire License from Municipal Corporation.
3 Health and Sanitary License.
4 Registration under Weights and Measures Act.
5 Forecourt License (for sale outside the shop area) (if required).
6 Signboard License (Within & Outside the Store).
7 Approval from the State Pollution Control Board (water disposal / solid
waste disposal) (if required).

B. Operations Related

1 APMC Licenses (F&V and Staple - Procurement and Sale).
2 Eating House / Food License (Food & Beverages).
3 PFA License required for the different categories of products stored / sold
in the distribution centres (DCs) under the Prevention of Food Adulteration
Act (PFA).
4 Cold Storage License – under the Factories Act.
5 Sweets Shop (Shop-in-Shop) License (if required).
6 License under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs and
Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
7 Household Pesticides and Insecticides License (if required).
8 Registration of manufacturers, packers, and importers under Rule 35 of the
Standards of Weights and Measures (WM) (Packaged Commodities)
Rules, 1977.
9 Essential Commodities Act - Storage Control Order.
10 Manufacturer’s Warranty to Consumer under the PFA Act.

C. Infrastructure Related

1 Power Connection.
2 DG Set Approval as required from the Local Electricity Board.
3 License if the Facade of the Store faces a Road (if required).
4 License for Ground Water Storage and Usage.

D. Labour Related

1 Shops and Establishment Act.
2 Employees PF Act- Apply for PF Code no.
3 Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Act regarding Medical
Benefit/Sickness Benefit and Employment Injury.
4 The Contract Labour Act.
5 The Payment of Gratuity Act.
6 The Factories Act, 1948.

96

E. Taxation Related

1 Professional Tax (if applicable).
2 Octroi / Cess in lieu of Octroi (if applicable).
3 Entry Tax (if applicable).
4 Service Tax Registration.
5 Permanent Account Number (Income Tax).
6 Sales Tax Registration (State-wise) - VAT & CST.

Note: The list may vary from state to state and as per the store format.

Source: Industry Sources.

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Annex 4: A Note on Sampling Design

This section briefly describes the methodology and sampling design used for
collecting primary data through structured survey questionnaires from traditional
retailers, intermediaries, consumers, and farmers.

Product Category Coverage

Following the deliberations in the brainstorming workshop, the present study covered
the following categories of organized outlets:

• Food and grocery, which is present across three different formats, namely
discount stores, super markets, and hypermarkets.
• Textiles and clothing which is usually departmental stores, and regular or large
format stores.

Thus, the choice of the above categories was guided by the consideration of their
propensity to impact unorganized (small) retail outlets, which was the core purpose of
the present study.

Geographic Coverage

Since the retail universe is very vast, widespread and diverse, obtaining a nationally
representative sample (covering urban and rural areas) would involve a very large
budget and time. Moreover, organized retailing is more of an urban and metropolitan
phenomenon and therefore, it was also decided that the study should only cover
metropolitan cities and a few tier-2 towns in different regions of the country where
organized retailing has a strong presence.

Selection of Cities

20
All mega-metro cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore,
21
Hyderabad and Ahmedabad were covered in the study. In addition, one mini-metro
each from three regions having a sizeable presence of organized retail namely Jaipur
from the North, Indore from the West and Kochi from the South were also included.
No mini-metro city was covered in the Eastern region as the presence of organized
retail sector is limited.

Selection of Organized clusters

Only where an organized retail outlet is located, could it impact the small,
unorganized retail outlets. Thus, the second stage of selection in the study involved
sampling of organized retail outlets as clusters.

The following process was adopted for the sampling of organized retail outlets, which
served as study clusters:

20
Population of over 4 million as per the 2001
Census.
21
Population between 1 million and 4 million as per the 2001
Census.

98

1. The number of organized retailers by outlet type (food and groceries or textiles
and clothing) and format category (discount stores/ supermarkets/
hypermarkets and departmental stores) was obtained from Technopak
Advisers Pvt. Ltd. separately for each city.

2. Using information in step 1 above, DRS has generated an exhaustive list of all
the organized retail outlets in the selected 10 cities from secondary sources.

3. The sample size of 101 clusters was allocated to different formats covered in
the study at the national level to ensure a minimum sample size of
unorganized retailers for each format category. Through purposive sampling,
20 each of the discount stores, hypermarkets and departmental stores, and 40
supermarkets were covered.

4. The sample size for each format was allocated to the 10 cities covered in the
study through the proportional allocation method.

5. In the case of cities wherever the sample size was large, the sample was
proportionately allocated to different regions within a city, after stratifying
them by region: North, East, West, Central and South using Eicher city maps.

6. The outlets belonging to each type and format were selected following the
stratified random sampling method. These organized retail outlets served as
study clusters.

A. Sampling Design: Small Unorganized Retail Outlets

Small, unorganized outlets are adversely affected by the expansion of organized
retailers, if they fall in the catchment area of the organized outlets. A catchment area
is defined as the area (radius of distance in km) from where the organized outlet is
expected to draw its customers. In other words, small, unorganized retailers in the
catchment area are likely to lose business as customers migrate (either in full or part)
to organized outlets for making their food and grocery, and textiles and clothing
purchases.

Using the standard industry norms, the catchment area for different types and formats
of organized outlets was defined as follows:

Catchment area (in km)

Discount stores 1
Supermarkets 1

Hypermarkets 10
Department stores 10

From the catchment area of each sampled organized retail outlet (hereafter referred to
as a cluster), a fixed number of small, unorganized retail outlets was selected and
interviewed. The number of organized outlet clusters selected and the number of

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unorganized retailers interviewed varied across different formats and is shown in
Table 1.

Table 1: Sample Size and Distribution
No. of Unorganized Retailers
No. of
Sampled per Cluster
Sampled Total
Format Type Textiles
Organized Food & Sample
Clusters 22 & Total
grocery
clothing
Discount stores 18 20 - 20 360
Supermarkets 43 20 - 20 860
Hypermarkets 20 20 10 30 600
Department stores 20 - 10 10 200
Total Sample 101 2020

In order to ensure that the sample of unorganized retailers drawn extends over the
entire catchment area, a distance criterion (distance of the unorganized outlets from
the organized retail outlet i.e. cluster) was used to select unorganized outlets which
are both “nearby” and “far away” from the cluster. The distance criterion varied
across different formats and is shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Distance* of Unorganized Outlets from Organized Outlets
“Far- away”
Format Type “Nearby” Outlets
Outlets
Supermarkets/ discount stores Within 0.5 km. 0.6-1.0 km.
Hypermarkets Within 5 km. 6-10 km.
Department stores Within 5 km. 6-10 km.
* Distance in radius of organized outlets.

For selecting the requisite number of unorganized retailers from each cluster, the field
researchers were asked to generate a list of such outlets in the catchment area. This
was done in consultation with key informants and knowledgeable retailers in the area
and the requisite sample was drawn from the list following the systematic random
sampling procedure. In the case of apparel outlets, wherever it was difficult to
generate such a list, a snowball sampling technique was employed.

B. Control Sample Survey of Small Retailers

The original survey of the impact of organized retail outlets on unorganized retailers
was conducted only in clusters where organized retailers have been established. As a
follow up to this survey, a survey was planned in clusters which are similar in profile
and character but do not have the presence of organized retailers (control clusters).
This survey was undertaken to compare changes in employment, turnover and profit

22
Grocery stores include grocery shops and general stores. Grocery shops deal mainly in grocery
items, such as staple food items (rice, atta, wheat, etc.). Other food items, such as grains and flour,
cooking oil, ghee, vanaspati, spices, etc. are available in loose. Grocery shops are also called
kirana shops. General stores, as the name suggests, deals in variety of general use items used for
daily needs. For example, in a general store one can find items, such as toiletries, biscuits and
snacks, packaged foods, cosmetics, hosiery and stationary, etc.

100

of small retailers and vendors in the unorganized sector in clusters where organized
retailers have a presence (treatment clusters) and where they do not have a presence
(control clusters). The differences observed between the two samples together help
establish the impact of organized retail.

The control sample survey was undertaken only in respect of food and grocery
organized outlets of different formats covered in the main survey. Given the limitation
of time and budget, the control sample survey was conducted in four out of the 10
cities covered in the main survey representing one city from each region.

The cities covered were: Delhi (North), Kolkata (East), Hyderabad (South) and
Ahmedabad (West). While the two cities (Delhi and Kolkata) selected are the largest
cities in their respective regions, the other two cities (Hyderabad and Ahmedabad) are
large metro cities with a great deal of presence of organized retail, but are not the
largest cities in their respective regions.

Secondary data pertaining to the location of organized retail in different cities was
gathered and all the organized outlets were mapped. Through this mapping exercise,
localities that fall in the catchment areas of organized outlets (one km radius in the
case of supermarkets and discount stores, and 5 km in case of hypermarkets) were
identified.

The same guideline was used in the main sample survey also to identify the catchment
areas of organized clusters in respect of supermarkets and discount stores, but in the
case of hypermarkets the guideline used was a radius of 10 km which was revised to 5
km in the control sample survey. This was done as a distance of 10 km was
considered too large for food and grocery items, which was the only product category
covered in the control sample survey.

In order to ensure that the retailers covered in the main survey and control sample
survey are comparable (which was the main purpose of undertaking the control
sample survey), care was taken to ensure that the localities selected for the control
sample survey are similar in economic profile of its residents and are in the same
geographical region of the respective cities.

The same semi-structured Retailer Interview Schedule that was canvassed in the main
survey was used in the control sample survey.

The only difference between the two surveys was in respect of the reference period
for all variables like sales turnover, profit, employment, etc. In the main survey, the
reference period for all the historical data on these variables was the month and year
of establishment of the organized retail outlet in that cluster. In the control sample
survey, as the survey was conducted in clusters where the organized retailers do not
exist, the reference period was the same for all the clusters which was “12 months
before”.

C. Sampling Design: Intermediaries

Several layers of trade intermediaries are involved between the producers of goods
and the retailers who sell these goods directly to the consumers. Intermediaries are a

101

very diverse group in terms of their functions and scale of operations and as such, it is
difficult for a small sample survey to statistically represent these heterogeneous
groups.

Given this challenge, it was decided to represent different types of intermediaries
dealing with different commodities or products in different geographical zones by
adopting a quota sampling design. Accordingly, a quota of 10 intermediaries was
interviewed from each commodity or product group and a total of 100 intermediaries
were interviewed from 10 cities covered under the study. The break-up of this sample
is as follows:

Table 3: Intermediary Sample by Product Group
Commodity/ Product Group Targeted Sample Size
Cooking oil 10
Rice 10
Wheat 10
Pulses 10
Fruit 10
Vegetables 10
Package consumers products 30
Apparels 10
Total 100

However, the actual sample of 100 intermediaries comprises more than 10
respondents in respect of many categories as some of the intermediaries were engaged
in trading of more than one commodity or product category. Broadly, the following
categories of trade intermediaries were covered in the survey: (i) commission agents;
(ii) miller/traders; (iii) regional wholesalers; (iv) C & F agents; (v) wholesalers; (vi)
local commission agents; (vii) stockists; (viii) distributors; and (ix) authorized dealers.

The results based on the survey ought to be treated only as indicative and not as
conclusive evidence, given the limitations cited above. It must be stated that the quota
sampling is widely practised in survey research. The quota sampling method has been
used, given the limitation of time, resources, and lack of adequate and reliable
knowledge on the number of intermediaries.

D. Sampling Design: Consumers at Organized and Unorganized Outlets

As consumers are a major stakeholder category in the expansion of organized retail, a
consumer survey was planned as an integral part of the present impact assessment
study. To assess the impact of organized retail network on consumers, exit interviews
were conducted with the consumers at the sampled 100 organized outlets across 10
study cities. A separate survey was also conducted at one or two of the sampled
unorganized outlets in each cluster.

Exit interviews were preferred over household surveys as it is difficult to locate
households who have made purchases from the sampled organized clusters (as the
catchment’s area extends over a large area). Moreover, there could be a poor or
inaccurate recall if the actual incidence of purchase occurred long before the date of

102

the interview. Exit interviews are reliable, easy to implement, and are widely used in
surveys of this nature.

In order to capture adequate information about the products purchased and savings
made if any from purchasing at organized outlets, only consumers who have spent at
least Rs. 100/- at the organized outlet in the present visit were included in the sample.
Five consumers were interviewed from each sampled organized outlet adopting the
systematic random sampling procedure. Every fifth consumer exiting from the shop
was interviewed provided he or she has made a purchase of Rs. 100/- and above.
Wherever the selected respondent was found to be ineligible on this criterion, he or
she was replaced with the next eligible respondent. Unlike in the case of consumers at
organized outlets, no minimum purchase value was stipulated for eligibility in the
case of consumers interviewed at the unorganized outlets. As the number of
consumers visiting unorganized outlets is not large, every alternate consumer visiting
the shop for making a purchase was interviewed (visitors who did not make any
purchase, however, were not included in the sample).

In total 1,010 consumers were interviewed, of which 505 consumers were interviewed
at the unorganized outlets, and 505 consumers were interviewed at the organized
retail outlets.

Survey of Consumers at Fruit and Vegetable Vendors

The above consumer survey did not cover consumers shopping at unorganized fruit
and vegetable outlets. An additional survey of consumers through exit interviews was
done for 308 consumers shopping at food and vegetable shops and hawkers in nine
cities (all 10 cities covered in the earlier surveys minus Kochi.)

E. Farmer Survey: Sampling Design

Improved crop value realization for farmers is often cited as the major benefit of
direct procurement of produce from farmers by organized retailers. The present study
seeks to examine this phenomenon. Subsequent to the value-chain assessment
undertaken in Bangalore, Karnataka for cauliflower, it was decided that this would be
studied in detail.

The universe of farmers in India is quite large and extensive. Identifying a statistically
significant sample is almost impossible. Therefore it was thought appropriate to
identify just one area and look at only one product and undertake a case study.

Cauliflower is a commonly consumed vegetable across all parts of India. An average
cauliflower cultivation cycle, from land preparation before sowing to harvest, is 120
days. Cauliflower is not a seasonal vegetable, but is sensitive to climate. Cool weather
is most suited for the cultivation of cauliflower. Good irrigation facilities are also
required, since the vegetable requires moist soil. Owing to these precise specifications
required for the cultivation of the vegetable, there are bound to be obvious quality
differentiations. While cauliflower is grown in many parts of India, Bangalore’s
climatic conditions are conducive for the crop to be raised all through the year.

103

23
An extensive reconnaissance was conducted over two field trips in Bangalore and
Hoskote. Hoskote is situated 25 km from Bangalore and is one of the main vegetable,
and specifically cauliflower, growing areas. A couple of years ago, Hoskote was
considered to be the outskirts of the city. But, with the city growing as a result of the
24
IT boom and escalating property prices, Hoskote is now part of the city.

25
Many organized retailers, Spencer’s, Reliance and Fabmall, to name a few, have
their collection centres at Hoskote, all within 2-3 km of each other. Even though the
26
Hoskote Taluk includes a little over 200 villages, the catchment area for the study
was intentionally restricted to villages within a 20 km radius of the collection centres,
in order to dispense with any geographical bias.

The study was implemented in two stages. Over the two field trips an attempt was
made to collate information on the following fronts:

• Contact all organized retailers within our catchment area and collate
information on their procurement practice.
• Put together a list of farmers from whom, or the list of villages from where
cauliflower is procured.
• Find out the various marketing channels available for cauliflower.
• Interview each person in the respective marketing channels to understand their
role and the value additions that they bring to the chain.
• Interview farmers selling to organized retailers either directly or through a
consolidator and farmers selling through other channels to capture in detail
their costs of cultivation and transaction.

Once this was completed, a value-chain analysis was carried out and a detailed
questionnaire was prepared for the survey to be conducted, and thus ended the first
stage of analysis.

The second stage of the study involved an extensive survey executed in the same area.
The survey was to be conducted in Hoskote under similar conditions as that of those
chosen for the value-chain analysis. The survey began by first interviewing those
farmers who were selling to organized retailers either directly or through a
consolidator. Subsequently, farmers using other channels were also identified in the
same villages as where farmers selling to organized retailers lived, and were
interviewed. A total of 197 farmers were interviewed within the 20 km stipulated
radius to obtain a reasonable representation of all marketing channels.

While the emphasis of the value-chain analysis was to capture in detail the costs of
production of the farmer and the value additions brought in by each player, the aim of
the survey was to capture in detail the profile of the farmer, the cultivation practices
and the costs of transaction incurred in each marketing channel. The survey also tried
to capture any qualitative advantages that the farmer might benefit from.

23
May 23, 2007 to May 27, 2007 & June 12, 2007 to June 16,
2007.
24
The new airport for Bangalore is constructed in the vicinity. As a result, property prices at
Hoskote have multiplied over the last year or two.
25
Soon to be renamed “More” post after its acquisition by the Aditya Birla
Group.
26
A sub-division of a
district.

Annex 5: Syndicate Bank’s Small Credit Scheme Linked to Pigmy Deposits
(“SyndSmallCredit”)

(A new scheme for providing financial assistance to entrepreneurs of small means
contributing to the deposit scheme “PigmyPlus2007”- Doorstep Banking.)

Highlights of the Scheme:

• The scheme aims at entrepreneurs of small means, such as manufacturers, retail
traders, professional and self-employed persons, artisans and those engaged in
making handicrafts, village/ cottage industries, and other non-farm income-
generating activities.
• The facility is available at all the branches where “PigmyPlus2007” scheme is in
operation, in clusters of not less than 50 accounts in an area.
• Need based credit of above Rs. 25000/-, subject to a maximum of Rs. 1.50 lakh
per borrower. A component up to 30 per cent of the total limit is included for
necessities, such as consumption/ contingencies and repayment of high-cost
private debt.
• No collateral security: only hypothecation of assets created out of a bank loan,
lien on “PigmyPlus2007” account and a creditworthy third-party guarantee.
• Easy repayment at the convenience of the borrowers: the repayment is linked to
day-to-day contributions towards “PigmyPlus2007” account, at the doorstep of
the customer.
• Contributions towards Pigmy can be at the convenience of the customer. It is not
fixed.
• Ballooning of equated monthly installments (EMIs) facilitating the customer to
repay smaller installments in the beginning when the income level is low and
gradually higher installments by the time the income level gets improved.
Repayment period spread over 60 months. The first three months is the
repayment holiday.
• Except for execution of documents at the branch level, the doorstep banking
facility is extended to the customer through Pigmy agents.
• The rate of interest is at PLR-0.50 per cent i.e. presently 12.5 per cent per
annum.
• 1.0 per cent rebate in interest for prompt repayment is provided at the closure of
the account.
• The Bank collects nominal out-of-pocket expenses @ 3 per cent of the amount
set for transferring from “PigmyPlus2007” to the loan account, which includes
payment of 2 per cent commission to Pigmy agents.
• A step towards comprehensive and wholesome financial inclusion.

Source: Syndicate Bank.

105

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112

LATEST ICRIER’S WORKING PAPERS
NO. TITLE AUTHOR YEAR

221 CHINA AND INDIA: A TALE OF PRZEMYSLAW AUGUST
TWO TRADE INTEGRATION KOWALSKI 2008
APPROACHES

220 TRADING WITH ASIA’S GIANTS BARRY BOSWORTH AUGUST
SUSAN M. COLLINS 2008
AARON FLAAEN
219 INFORMAL VALUES AND SARADINDU BHADURI JULY 2008
FORMAL POLICIES: A STUDY OF JANASHRUTI CHANDRA
JAPANESE TECHNOLOGY
POLICY AND SIGNIFICANCE
FOR INDIA

218 REGIONAL ECONOMIC ARADHNA AGGARWAL JULY 2008
INTEGRATION AND FDI IN
SOUTH ASIA : PROSPECTS AND
PROBLEMS

217 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR SURABHI MITTAL JULY 2008
THE HILL DISTRICTS OF GAURAV TRIPATHI
UTTARAKHAND DEEPTI SETHI

216 IMPACT OF PROPOSED PRAVAKAR SAHOO JULY 2008
COMMODITY TRANSACTION RAJIV KUMAR
TAX ON FUTURES TRADING IN
INDIA

215 INDEX OF FINANCIAL MANDIRA SARMA JUNE 2008
INCLUSION

214 MEASURING SUSTAINABILITY PURNAMITA DASGUPTA MAY 2008
WITH MACROECONOMIC DATA SHIKHA GUPTA
FOR INDIA

213 DEEPENING INTRAREGIONAL MEENU TEWARI APRIL 2008
TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN
SOUTH ASIA
THE CASE OF THE TEXTILES
AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY

212 CHANGING PARADIGM OF P G RAJAMOHAN APRIL 2008
INDO-JAPAN RELATIONS: DIL BAHADUR RAHUT
OPPORTUNITIES AND JABIN T JACOB
CHALLENGES

113

About ICRIER

ICRIER, established in August 1981, is an autonomous, policy-oriented, not-for-profit
research institute. We have nurtured our cherished autonomy by establishing an
endowment fund, income from which meets all our administration expenses.
ICRIER’s offices are located in the prime institutional complex of India Habitat
Centre, New Delhi. The prime focus of all our work is to support India’s interface
with the global economy.

ICRIER’s founding Chairman was Dr. K.B. Lall who led the organization since its
inception from 1981 till 1992 when he handed over the Chairmanship to
Mr. R.N. Malhotra (1992-1996). He was followed by Dr. I.G. Patel who remained
Chairman from 1997 to 2005 until his demise in July 2005. ICRIER’s current
Chairperson is Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia.

Amongst ICRIER’s founding members are: Dr. Manmohan Singh, Dr. C. Rangarajan,
Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati, Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

ICRIER conducts thematic research in the following six thrust areas:

• Trade, Openness, Restructuring and Competitiveness
• WTO-Related Issues
• Regional and Bilateral Issues
• Financial Liberalization and Integration
• Macro-economic Management in an Open Economy
• Strategic Aspects of India’s External Relations

In addition, ICRIER holds public policy workshops to bring together policy makers,
academicians, Union Cabinet Ministers, senior industry representatives, Members of
Parliament and media persons to try and forge a consensus on issues of major policy
interest. In the effort to better understand global developments and experiences of
other economies which have bearing on India’s policies and performance, ICRIER
invites distinguished scholars and policy makers from around the world to deliver
public lectures on economic themes of interest to contemporary India.

ICRIER’s highly qualified core team of researchers includes several PhDs from
reputed Indian and foreign universities. At present the team has 20 Senior Economists,
24 Research Associates/Assistants and 29 External Consultants. The team is led by
Dr. Rajiv Kumar, D.Phil in Economics from Oxford University and PhD from
Lucknow University.

114

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