Stir against organized retail set to go national

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest listed retailer, has just announced its India plans. Unorganized retailers across India will mark that and the entry of other large retailers on Thursday by burning effigies of the CEOs of Wal-Mart and others, closing some wholesale markets and shops and holding demonstrations in the first wave of nationwide protest against them.

The protests, asking large firms to “Quit Retail,” in India’s 60th year of Independence, in a twist on the famous “Quit India” slogan that Indians used to end British rule, also coincides with the anniversary of that movement. It will bring together an eclectic group of small retailers, hawkers, farmers, wholesalers and trade union activists.

Read more at Livemint.com

RIL gets ministry rap for oil retail delay

The petroleum ministry has rapped Reliance Industries for failing to meet its obligations of opening and operating 10 per cent of its petrol and diesel retail outlets in remote and low-service areas.

In its reply to a recent ministry communication to this effect, the company has said that this was because of the government control on prices of auto fuels resulting in losses from the overall fuel retailing business.

RIL, along with private sector companies, Shell and Essar, was given permission to retail automobile fuels in the country in 2002. RIL’s plan was to open almost 5,000 retail outlets across the country, but the company has so far opened around 1,800 retail outlets.

Read more in Business Standard

Beauty mart

The company wants to tap the huge opportunity in the beauty and wellness retail space.

Look good and feel better. That’ll be easy to do once the Rs 2,000 crore Dabur India rolls out its 350 health and beauty stores. With a fairly large portfolio in the health and beauty segment and a wide range in the healthcare category, the FMCG major’s foray into the retail space was almost a given.

Says Sunil Duggal, CEO, “There’s a need for quality service and store environment in the health and beauty retail market in India today and no major player has entered this space so far. We’re looking to tap the growth prospects in both the retail market and the health and beauty segment.” Read more at Business Standard