As the economy in India grows along with a healthy middle class, so does retail shopping, and those involved are learning the tricks of the trade to bring more customers through the door and to the cash registers.
Some of these changes have happened so fast that it’s eye-opening to see how those with the ingenuity to figure out different approaches are in the unique position to bring their brands from local to national and even global within just a few years. And that’s exactly what’s happening as their new malls turn into the place to be for India’s youth, whether they come to shop or not. The mega malls offer socialization, entertainment, food, and, of course, shopping.
This growth is so rapid that finding the people to do the wide-assortment of retail jobs may be the toughest part of getting businesses in a place they can soar. As any good store manager can tell you, their staff needs to be customer service oriented, able to work with numbers easily, keep track of stock levels, and visually oriented to make sure the merchandize is presented in the best way to sell.
If you get people who have several of those skills, and maybe a few who know the trends well enough to be slightly ahead of the curve, the business can become the place everyone wants to be.
Then come the actual marketing and PR. Everything should be done with an eye toward keeping sales levels high. Using sales, events, displays, and sometimes yet untried ideas are all part of a good marketing and PR plan. Often this requires the help of experts, rather than just another warm body on the staff. PR and marketing are different things, but may fully-integrated firms offer expertise in both. It’s money well spent whether in India, Indiana or metropolis’ such as Los Angeles, London, New York or New Delhi.
With India’s improved infrastructure and increased income levels, the retail industry looks at a thriving future. Some retail chains already booming are Food World, Pantaloons, Barista, Reliance India, and Big Bazaar. Most of these chains have plans to expand into smaller towns and cities. And with business booming, they are also finding the global stores in their market as well, including Ikea, Walmart, Zara, and H & M.
These new malls and the shops found there give shoppers a place to get away and sometimes get caught up in your or someone else’s fantasy world.