AHMEDABAD: "The sooner the government recognises retailing as an industry and allows FDI the better," said Karwal, who was in this city for an interactive session with professionals and students at the Retail Academy Tuesday. "Apart from retail chains and franchises, retailing is likely to develop many new concepts like multi-floor shopping malls or cash-n-carry stores of 500-700 square feet of space, specialist stores and unexpected concepts like drive-in restaurants and saloons. Retailers have to utilise each square inch of space and have to sell everything in the store to the end-customers," he said. Karwal added: "The consumer deserves the best, needs to touch, feel, ask questions, satisfy himself and experience before he decides to buy. He does not mind travelling a few kilometres extra, if he gets a wider choice. Even consumers have their loyalty to retailers." He said: "The country has seen some shape of retailing to come in Mumbai and south India, particularly in Bangalore and Chennai. There are Viveks and Vasants in Tamil Nadu, Nirula's in Delhi, Lutus in Indore or Sales India in Gujarat." John Geevargese, chairman of Retail Academy and promoter of Sales India, said retailing was a sunrise industry but would grow and the academy was launched last year to train people in professional management courses in retailing. "Besides offering full-time courses to fresh graduates, it (the academy) also offers crash courses to big retailers and retail chains like Fun Republic and Jade Blue. The government should accord industry status to retailing," he said. According to Geevargese, the 1000-million Sales India proposed to start two outlets every month at important towns and spread across Gujarat by the yearend. "The first outlet, started in a small town like Anand last year, is now doing a business of over 500 million per month. Two more outlets were opened at Vadodara and Bhuj last month. Two outlets will be started at Jamnagar and Vapi in May, Gandhinagar and Morbi in June, and at Himatnagar and Palanpur in July." The Retail Academy, certified by City & Guild International, Britain, offers post-graduate diplomas in retail and franchise management and other short-duration courses.
Source: IANS