Tag: India

The Indian retail industry is the fifth largest in the world and one of the fastest growing industries in India. The country is considered as the third most attractive market for retail investment in a list of 30 other emerging markets, according to AT Kearneys Annual Global Retail Development Index 2010.

As the retail sector grows bigger and bigger, there is an urgent requirement to bring in new talents familiar with the know-how of this fast changing sector at each and every stage. To cater to the rising demands for managerial manpower by the Retail Sector companies several established B-schools have started Retail specialization MBA courses. These are BIMTECH, KJ Somaiya, Welingkar, and others.

Envisioning to bridge the widening gap between the supply and demand of trained personnel in the retail industry, Future Group also entered the retail education sector in 2009 with Future Innoversity, as part of its Future Learning initiative.

Retail forms the core business activity of Future Group. Its chain of retail stores named Big Bazaar is already a big name in the retail world. Future Innoversity is offering specialized post-graduate and undergraduate programs viz MBA in Retail and BBA in Retail Services.

Mr. Kurien C K, Dean Academics & Placements, Future Innoversity, while talking to MBAUniverse.com, said that this sector offers great opportunity. The scope of the Indian retail market is immense, for this sector is poised for the highest growth over the next few years.

Justifying the boom of the Retail sector, Mr. Kurien C K said, Urban and rural areas are turning into high potential markets with more domestic and international players entering the field and existing ones stepping up their expansion drives. The growth of the Indian economy is manifesting itself in the growing purchasing power of its citizens and this is reflected in the way goods and services are bought and sold.

Observing on how the Retail sector has changed over the years, Mr. Kurien C K mentioned, Modern retailing has entered the retail market in India and is observed in the form of bustling shopping centers, multi-storied malls and the huge complexes that offer shopping, entertainment and food all under one roof.

Stating the scope of the growth pattern of the industry he said, A large young working population with median age of 24 years, nuclear families in urban areas, along with increasing working women population and emerging opportunities in the services sector are going to be the key factors in the growth of the organized retail sector. The growth pattern in organized retailing and in the consumption made by the Indian population will follow a rising graph making this sector the next boom industry.

Taking the Decision
If you are planning your career in the Retail Sector, then an MBA in Retail Sector would give you the opportunity to be an expert in the sector and make you a professional from the Day 1 of your career. But you may think whether to go with specialized MBA in Retail Sector or General MBA. If you are keen on a particular sector, such as Retail and you are sure that this is the area you want to pursue your career in, then you will find it easier to take the decision on whether to go for the specialized MBA or the general MBA.

Addressing the issue of general MBA vs. specialized MBA, Mr. Kurien C K stated, Management skills required for different industries are very different and a general management degree does not develop the student for any particular industry. Today employers are looking for freshers who can be effective from day one instead of spending one to two years learning the ropes of the business before they can start contributing. Also a lot of sectors including retail, logistics, health care, education, construction, etc face a huge dearth of skilled manpower at all levels and therefore there is a strong need for more sector specific specialized management courses for cultivating the required skills.

If you are keen to pursue your MBA in the academic year 2011-13, Future Innoversity is still conducting the admission process for the programs MBA Retail, MBA Supply Chain and BBA Retail Services, Certificate Program in Diploma in Retail and Distance learning program for BBA Retail. The session will commence from July 31, 2011.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more news and updates from Future Innoversity.

Retail Management aims small and middle retailers in quest of automating their stores. Retail Industry is one of the greatest shifting and vivacious industries in the world. It has added to the economic expansion of many countries. Retail Management is an imperative element of the business industry that engages retail marketing and services to customers for their personal or family use. Retail industry in India rumbled in 80s and within a squat duration of time, retail sector in India has been rated as the 5th most conspicuous, striking and promising retail marketplace in the world. With the incredible augmentation of economy, Retail Management has appeared as one of the best ever mounting careers in India.

The massive development in the retail sector since past few years has unnerved a gigantic demand for trained professionals in the sector. It is an industry in quest of people at all echelons. One can engage in a job depending on ones own ability and interest, in view of the fact that retail industry is an assortment of actions initiating from advertising to branding. This crafts Retail Management one of the most sought after careers in India. Recent retail has penetrated India as seen in rambling malls, complexes and shopping centers proffering entertainment and shopping all under a roof.

Retailing set – up: Comprehensive outlook

Consumer – Centric

Internationally, Retail Management is consumer – centric with prominence on modernization in processes, services and products. The retailing sector in India is at an inflexion peak where the intensification of structured retail and escalation in the utilization by Indians is going to take up an advanced growth trail. The Indian population is observing a momentous revolution in its demographics. A large youthful working populace, nuclear families residing in urban regions, together with escalating working women inhabitants and budding prospect in the services segment are going to be the key expansion drivers of the premeditated retail segment. The association of retailers arrives at every alcove and curve of the country. So any product formed wherever in the country can be effortlessly contacted by the buyers from any place. Thus the spatial expediency of Indian dealers is elevated.

Technology- Concentrated

Retail Management is a ‘technology- concentrated ‘ segment. Victorious retailers nowadays work strongly with their merchants to forecast consumer requirement, abridge lead times, lessen stock investment and thus, save cost. Retailing Management is at a blossoming phase in our country. Nowadays, online systems connect point of – sales workstations to the major workplace where thorough scrutiny on sales by article, categorization, vendor or stores are agreed out online. Besides perceiving what was acquired and by whom, information on placid matters such as psychographics and demographics is taken into consideration.

Retailing method engages an unswerving edge with the client and the harmonization of business actions from the design phase of manufactured goods to its release and post – delivery service. In general, retail industry can be categorized into numerous categories depending on their shape, size, product lines, service proffered and prices charged etc. Some amongst them are supermarkets, specialty stores, malls, franchises, factory outlets, discount stores, chain stores, personal products, lifestyle, groceries stores and furnishing household appliances etc. With the prologue of open economy chased by roar in consumerism in India and enlargement of planned retailing, the souk had immense hope from retail sector both in terms of expansion in business and in generating job prospects. Numerous institutions present Retail Management courses with an optimism to pull towards themselves a great number of aspirants who are enthusiastic to discover their career in the field of retailing.

Pathfinder offers a range of software products and Retail Point of Sale software solutions which integrate a wide spectrum of customer requirements, streamlining business functions and increase organizational efficiency with a definite mark of quality with a ROI assurance. Pathfinder is a leading retail software solutions provider in India, APAC Regions & Middle East and provides end to end solutions for retail automation, retail sales and inventory management, products management and planning.

Pathfinder has a dedicated pool of IT professionals equipped with strong knowledge, rich experience and sound logic. This blend comes from diverse backgrounds, education in leading technical institutes, and track records from associations with leading IT companies. It is our strong conviction that every business Firm or Organization, irrespective of its size, has some common needs and some needs that are absolutely specific. Our team takes an approach based on these needs and adopts relevant strategies. We are an organization driving a huge clientele on a committed path of delivering quality products and a range of software solutions with core competencies in Retail Management, Point of Sale, Bar code Automation, Mobility solutions on PD_A / Hand Held Terminals, Enterprise Solutions and web services. We have a global and phenomenal presence in India, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar, and Srilanka spreading ever & across with more than 500 corporations as our business milestones.

XtreMe eSmartStore has intrinsic flexibility to suit multiple, diverse business models :

XtreMe e-Smart Store Point of Sale boasts speed, ease of use, reliability and an extensive range of powerful features designed for an array of diverse retail verticals ensuring your business is operational at all times. XtreMe eSmartStore Point of Sale and retail management tools ensure that you serve your customers effectively whilst maintaining tight control over business processes, performance and generates immediate cost savings. XtreMe eSmartStore provides your workforce with the necessary gears at the Point of Sale to deliver unmatched customer service. Processes are streamlined to eliminate confusion, decrease the time required for staff training and create a more efficient way of working. Features Easy to use application interface and configurable sales screen Fast multi-mode product look up feature (EAN

UPC

PLC / SKU) Support for split tenders – cash, card, cheque or voucher for a single transaction Support for multiple currencies configuration Support for custom bill id Support for Price over-ride Support for Deposit collection and utilization Manage Line item and overall discounts On-Screen alert of promotional items Suspend billing and resume Support to generate cost estimates at the till Support for Home Delivery, Rate based & Non Inventory sales Support for on-account sales Manage exchanges & returns On-Screen excess cash alert Alerts on exceptional transactions On-Screen shift settlement with denominations On-Screen verification for high value items Support for customer registration at the till Robust customer search options and customer history Issue and redemption of gift vouchers /credit notes Support for Warranty Tracking Manage salesman shifts & commissions Automated data collection from weighing scale Touch screen, Bar code scanning, Receipt Printer & POS keyboard support Cash drawer support (pops drawer automatically) Pole display support (displays purchase information to the customer) Supports portable hand-held terminals for Q busting Supports Shop in Shop formats On-screen help options Maintain real-time, inventory control for your stores with XtreMe eSmartStore: XtreMe eSmartStore inventory module comprises of a detailed management features including Product and Pricing Control, Stock Control, Staff Management, Point of Sale Configuration, Loyalty Rewards, Accounts, Audit Control and a comprehensive set of Reports and Analysis Tools. All information can be accessed in real-time both onsite and remotely over the web, so that business decisions can be based on precise timely information Features Easy to use, Windows-based management screens Create and manage products, departments and categories Support for 09 levels of SKU categorization Create & Manage custom unit descriptions Supports Auto-generated / custom product codes Ability to maintain multiple vendor / EAN codes Auto indenting based on MBQ, ROL & Lead Time GRN & Delivery Authorization Set product shelf life and expiry Tag products to a BIN location Derive selling prices based on MRP / cost price Price Mark up / Mark down Set multiple pricing levels Bar code generation and printing – all popular bar-code types supported Add unique codes for products without bar-codes Multiple barcodes per product code allowing for differing pack sizes Monitor and updates stock levels automatically in real time Track inventory by category classification, department and product bar code Apply promotions, including individual product discounts, fixed price, quantity discounts and product bundling Seasons, Schemes, Promotions, Mix and Match Manage packet sales Grouping and UN-grouping of products Stock Adjustments Transfers between warehouse and retail stores Material Resource Planning Ticket printing for shelf edges tickets or product bar codes Supports portable hand-held terminals for inventory counting and order entry One of our main strengths is our in-house retail expertise and support, which is second to none. The immense depth of XtreMe Retail Solutions coupled with its use of retail logic makes it an ideal choice for any specialist retail business, regardless of size. Whether you are a single shop or represent a large retail organization with nationwide branches, XtreMe Retail Solutions is the answer for your needs. Retailer Sales Reporting XtreMe Imperial – Retailer sales reporting, a centralized reporting system for a malls POS data. It provides access to detailed, consolidated reporting of all retailers. We collect your data, and deliver it through reports that are customized to meet your needs. XtreMe Imperil Retailer Sales Reporting allows you to Manage master information of all retailers Web based daily / optional intranet* reporting of POS data Accurate sales information from retailers. No Misreporting Analytical Information of brand & category performance Average spend size with daily trends MIS to strategist and implement Mall promotions How it works: It all starts with the client software running on each location’s POS server. This client is a small application that is set up to execute using Windows Scheduler. This gives you full control over how frequently the data is sent to the server. Once the data is loaded to the server, using secure FTP over a broadband internet connection, it is loaded in to a MS SQL database. Once there, it is available for reporting using an interface that is simple and easy to navigate. XtreMe Retail POS XtreMe eSmartStore Boutiques Gift Stores Apparel & Footwear Supermarket / Hypermarket Furniture XtreMe Foodie Fine Dining Kiosks & Takeaways XtreMe Axis Food Court XtreMe Bloom Wellness Centers Salon & SPA Our solutions help organizations operate with greater efficiency, integrating and managing business to streamline costs, boost sales and deliver the optimum buying experience to their customers. Can we help support your operations? Why not contact us today to discuss your requirements. To know more about our Point of Sale, email us or call us on +91 44 4394 6666. www.pftec.com

Hamleys- one of worlds largest toy stores- is set to storm Indian market under its tie-up with one of Indias largest retail brands- Reliance Retail.

A lucrative subsidiary of Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Reliance Retail is a strong arm extension of this private major. Currently, it operates in 1,000 stores in more than 85 cities across the country.

Under its tie-up with the UK based toy store, Reliance Retail launched the first Hamleys toy store in Asia in the city of Mumbai in April 2010. Reliance Retail President and Chief Executive Officer Bijou Kurien reported that, Our first store in Mumbai which is spread across 21,000 square foot has got a very good response. It was a pilot store. Now this is a large store. With this we have plan to open 18 stores in India over the next seven years.

Hamleys as a brand is a very strong and reputable. The flagship store is considered one of London’s major tourist attractions, and receives about five million visitors a year. The USP of such a mammoth like establishment lies in its superior range of products, variety and quality.

As far as Indian toy market is considered, it is presently valued at Rs. 15,000 crore, growing annually by almost 15%. Fueled by a vast domestic market, the industry has now turned its attention to global markets and is fast gearing up to meet international demands.

In an effort to realize this expectation, Reliance Retail has joined forces with one of worlds top toy marketers as a part of expanding its footprint. The new stores in India will be launched under Pilot Store-Large store category, spread across 11,000 to 21,000 square feet of space.
Hamleys Global CEO Gudjon Reynisson said that the company holds all local partnerships for merchandising their toys in any country where dearly. And an opportunity to spread out alongside Indias largest retail brand is an added incentive.

While Reliance Retail will guide the process through their extensive knowledge of domestic market, cultural diversities and distribution network, Hamleys will provide the merchandises and also give creative direction to the whole course of action.

Vision Express, the 50-50 Joint Venture between Reliance Retail and Pearle Europe, expands its base nationally on the occasion of its first anniversary, by foraying into Mumbai. The opening of the first Vision Express store in Mumbai is in sync with the brand’s aggressive retail expansion strategy which has helped Vision Express establish a formidable presence with 41 stores across 18 cities in the country within the first year of its operations. The Mumbai outlet is the 41st Vision Express outlet store in the country and reiterates the reputation of Vision Express as one of the fastest growing eyewear retail chains in the country.

Having embarked on the retail journey in December 2008, Vision Express has been changing the landscape of the eyewear retail industry in India by opening world-class optical stores across the country. Within a short period of time, the company has established a sizeable geographic presence and introduced unique services, stylish international products and exacting quality standards, at very sharp prices unparalleled in India’s eyewear industry. The Mumbai foray in collaboration with Reliance Retail is part of an overall aggressive expansion strategy by the format which will see wide-spread expansion in terms of cities and number of stores in existing cities in its aim to achieve numero uno optical retail chain in the country.

On the occasion of the launch, Mr. Guillame Brouwet, CEO, Vision Express said, “We are proud to complete a great and successful year of our presence in India. The phenomenal customer response to our stores has helped us bring the best of optical retail experience to the Indian consumers through our network of 41 stores across 18 cities within the first year of our operations. With the thought of extending the unique Vision Express experience further, on our first anniversary in India we have launched our first store in Mumbai and will expand to several new geographies in the months ahead. Through our ever expanding network we promise to bring international quality and several first-of-its-kind essential and compelling services at very competitive prices to the Indian consumers.”

The new store is located at Shop No. UG 33A, Next to Westside, Korum Mall, Near Cadbury Compund,Thane (West) – 400 606, Thane, Mumbai along with several other Reliance Retail outlets. Like all other Vision Express outlets this outlet too will offer a wide variety of fashionable and trendy optical products at affordable prices. Vision Express, Europe’s largest optical retail chain will present its global optical retail expertise through this store to the consumers in Thane and surrounding areas. With its experience in more than 25 countries, Vision Express aims to provide shoppers across India a never before experienced shopping delight through the expanding network of Vision Express stores. The core of Vision Express, “We see it your way” reflects the brand’s mission to optimize customer experience and satisfaction.

With Reliance Industries as their supporting partner the Vision Express store launch in Thane will be supplemented by special 1st anniversary celebrations targeted at bringing additional benefits to the consumers including its highly popular free eye test for all customers. The free eye test at Vision Express is a complete 11 step eye test that includes a special eye pressure check. This is a unique process, certified by LV Prasad Eye Institute. Post the eye test, vision experts at Vision Express will help customers select the right products for their eye care needs. This apart, the new store has also introduced a special inaugural offer that entitles customers to 25% 0ff on frames and sunglasses.

Apart from free eye test, Vision Express also offers express service for spectacles with single vision standard lenses, and other services like free cleaning of glasses and repairs for all customers. Its strategic association with L V Prasad Eye Institute, a world class eye institute ensures all Vision Express staff undergoes rigorous training in eye care and thereby offer excellent customer service.