Rural India: Glitter in times of gloom.

In 2008, the rural areas grew at a robust rate of 25 per cent as compared to 10 per cent growth in urban retail market According to a McKinsey, rural India, would become bigger than the total consumer market in countries such as South Korea or Canada in another twenty years.

Major supermarkets commit to unit pricing roll-out

Australia: The draft unit pricing code was finally launched this week, with major retailers committing to completion of the roll-out by the end of this year.
“Our members including Coles, Woolworths and Franklins have taken the initiative and all plan to have completed a full roll-out of unit pricing  before the year’s end,” said Margy Osmond [...]

Retailers say Obama stimulus plan not enough

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The largest U.S. retail trade group said current economic stimulus legislation might not do enough to spur consumer spending and repeated its call for a series of temporary sales tax holidays.
The National Retail Federation is “extremely concerned that it does not do enough to immediately stimulate consumer spending or to preserve the [...]

Australian Retailers Association call for more Retail stimulus

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) said the expected interest rate cut of 1.0 percentage point will take three to six months to flow through the economy and is calling on the Federal Government to adopt a range of stimulus measures to accelerate consumer spending.
ARA executive director Richard Evans said the retail market was still suffering [...]

THE DEVIL IS NOT REALLY IN THE RETAIL.

As we step into a new year, we are also entering a new era of business and economic environment. A new era calls for fresh thinking, exploring new scenarios and new solutions. Whether it is through deficit-financed tax cuts that will put more money in the pocket of consumers, or through vouchers that encourage people to spend immediately, we have to explore ways and means to further boost private consumption.