Brick and Mortar Vs Internet Retailing

There have been a couple of questions at LinkedIn on Brick and Mortar retailing Vs Internet retailing; so I thought of posting my thoughts on the same.

Both Internet Retailing and Brick and Mortar Retailing have their own sets of advantages. The advantages of Internet retailing are saves time, home delivery, depth and width of assortment, convenience, complete information of products,etc.
Whereas Brick and Mortar Retailing benefits are touch and feel, immediate gratification, cash payment, social experience, etc.

But the most important element which differentiates Internet retailing from Brick and Mortar retailing is overall experience, rather social experience. As, Paco Underhill, author of 'How We Shop', points out, “Stores are a social experience. I don't care how many chat rooms there are on a site, they will never provide what the experience of brick-and-mortar shopping provides for all five senses, if not six or seven.”

Shopping does not mean just buying products, we shop for numerous reasons such as feeling depressed/good, celebrating festival, need to be with family or friends, time pass, etc. We go shopping even if we don't have to shop; it may be your friend who would like to shop for himself/herself or for his/her family or friends.

Every purchase whether small or big has an experience associated with it. For example sometimes shopping for a colored pen or pencil makes me happy because I love colors. When I feel depressed, I go for color shopping. Also it doesn't cost your pocket. :-)

Big purchase could be shopping for furniture for your home or office, where again you would like to go and feel the furniture, sit on it before buying it. Or could be buying a car, which would require a test drive. Another example of big shopping could be marriage. Have you ever noticed a bride shopping for her wedding, she is so particular even for a saree pin she purchase!

I believe it is emotions which are connected to every purchase. For me shopping is a way out of my laptop, so I don't shop online, to me it seems too mechanical to shop online.

But surely there is both a market and potential for online retailers, the only point I'll like to make is that traditional brick and mortar stores have no threat from online retailers in Indian context.

Also feel free to describe your shopping behavior here.

A Dhaba in Food Court of Malls

I believe a dhaba in food court of malls will do really well. When I am saying dhaba I don't mean "Pind Baluchi" or "Bauji Ka Dhaba". I mean a real dhaba where you get food at the price of a dhaba; or if not at the price of dhaba then may be 20 to 30% more than dhabba rates.

The target audience of such dhaba can also include the people working in malls. The people who work in malls away from their families, seriously face problem for their lunch. This dhabba could be a good option for them.

This dhaba may not invest in heavy fixtures like its counterparts in mall. And can do with the economical fixtures found in a Punjabi Dhaba. May be even a khat or two with excellent lassi served.

Also I feel there should be "Fresh Juice Kiosks" in the malls, offering fresh fruit and vegetable juices. A kiosk for juice at every floor of the mall.

However, I feel that these two models will do pretty well.

Report on Rural Retail in India

Here I am posting a report on Rural Retail in India, which I have done as a part of my subject Retail Vertical at IILM, Gugaon. I will like to thanx my friends Priya and Deepak, who helped me to complete this report.
The report attempts to cover the rural scenario in India, Opportunities from changing demographics of Rural India, Enablers for growth in rural retail, Highlights of significant Players in India, Impediments and Recommendations.
Hope you would find it interesting.
(Click on the square on right hand side of the report for maximizing it)

Report on Rural Retail - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Report on Rural Retail

Overview of Pharma Retail in India

Here I am posting a small presentation on pharma retailing in India.

Men Are Increasingly Investing Time In Shopping

Today I will like to share some interesting observation on how couples shop:

It is interesting to see that boys are now investing more time in shopping with their girlfriends and help them select the designs and sizes of the dresses. A male customer stood for about one and a half hour outside trial room helping her wife to select the garments. And I am not exaggerating the time, I have seen boys investing even more time helping their girlfriends to shop. Another thing which is interesting is to see how males hold the female purses; when the female goes to the trial room. There is something funny about men holding female bags.

Though men are investing more time in shopping but then there are still males who doesn't enjoy shopping as much as their female counterparts. Just to share one more incident where the couple behaved just opposite of the above. The female went to the trial room for trying a kurti and when she came out to show it to her husband; her husband was standing out of the store. Then she send a team member to call him in.

So though the customer behavior varies from individual to individual, but gen next males seem to be involved in shopping as much as their female counterparts. And they have a equal say in what suits them and what suits their counterparts better.

People Sensitivity For Physically Challenged People

Today at store we had a training on "People Sensitivity for physically challenged people" who visit our stores. The training was about how we should support such people. Note the word used is support and not help.

There was a role play where everyone attending the training had to sit on wheel chair and other person had to move the wheel chair. This made us realize the difficulties faced by physically challenged people. The space in the aisle of the section was not enough for the movement of wheelchair; because of the difference in eye level of person on a wheel chair and able person, the disabled person will not be able to read the signage, we also understood how a disabled person will like to touch and feel every product but what all will be the difficulties faced by him in reaching every product.

We learned the sign language and learnt the signs used for alphabets. And below are some key points which we should keep in mind while dealing with disabled customer:

• If you are pulling the wheelchair, ask if the speed is fine
• Never pat on the back of the person
• Never try to help, only support
• Treat them as adult vs adult.
• Never be too friendly and don't ask personal questions such as "When did it happen?"
• Never try to play with the wheelchair or touch the wheelchair with your feet. For a disabled person it is their body part.
• The sign language learnt for helping the customers should not be used for your fun.

No Pharma Shops in a Mall

Till now I haven't seen any pharma retail shop in any Mall. To me it seems like a necessity in a mall. We have malls selling everything through there hypermarkets, department stores, food courts, speciality stores, cigarette kiosks, etc. But if a customer needs a crocine he is expected to go out, cross the road and take it from any nearby pharma shop, even if the customer is suffering from severe headache and outside the sun is shining too bright.

What? The basic medical facility is available at the Customer Service Desk of all the department stores and hypermarket. But how many customers know about that? The only thing they know is that there is no medicine shop available in the Mall.

Though Future Group has started with Tulsi (medicine shops) within their Big Bazaar store. But today I required citrizine which was neither available at the Customer Service Desk of my store, whereas Big Bazaar was not selling allopathy medicine today because of technical problems!!!