A Professor at one of the IIM's (INDIA) was explaining marketing concepts to the Students

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say:  
"I am very rich. Marry me!" - * That's Direct Marketing.*

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: 
"He's very rich.Marry him." - * That's Advertising.*

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: 
"Hi, I'm very rich. Marry me." - * That's Telemarketing.*

4.  You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car) for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say: 
"By the way, I'm rich. Will you marry me?" - * That's Public Relations.*

5.  You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:
"You are very rich! Can you marry ! me?" - * That's Brand Recognition.*

6.  You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: 
I am very rich. Marry me! "She gives you a nice hard slap on your face."- * That's Customer Feedback*

7.  You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: 
"I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband.- * That's demand and supply gap*

8.  You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you sayanything, another person come and tell her: 
"I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him. -* That's competition eating into your market share*

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: 
"I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives. - * That's restriction for entering new markets* 

HERITAGE HASSLES: Clive House makeover leaves tenants homeless

The Archaeological Survey of India has taken up the challenge of restoring the lost beauty of Clive House, the oldest monument of Kolkata. This despite vehement protests from the illegal occupants at the site. Satrajit Sen and Jahirul Haque provide an overview Satrajit Sen and Jahirul Haque Kolkata, May 24: “Building condition is in danger... Don’t go inside” — reads a signboard outside the oldest monument of Kolkata, the Clive House, also known as the “Bada Kothi”. Built by Robert Clive before the invasion of Siraj-ud-dullah, the historical monument today wears a beleaguered look. Shorn of the dazzle and the past grandeur, it is now a refuge to unauthorised dwellers who have been living there for more than 45 years now. With the Archaeological Survey of India taking up the challenge to restore its past beauty, the illegal occupants at the site are faced with the threat of losing their shelter and injure themselves while portions of the building are rebuilt. What the occupants say The people staying in the building are living precariously as the entire structure may cave-in any moment. Even the entrance to the building is not safe, said some of them. “ We have been residing here for the past 40 years. They can’t just throw us out like that,” says an aged person, residing there for the last 35 years. Though the occupants are aware of the historical significance of the monument, they equally value their lives. “ We are not against the facelift of the heritage structure, but we should be rehabilitated before the reconstruction work begins,” said a resident. Earlier, there were several families occupying the main building of Clive House, but as it started to collapse, some of them built their own houses illegally in the adjacent plots inside the campus. “ We were left with no other alternative,” said Anal Majumder, a tenant. People from different walks of life constitute the occupants at the Clive House, including daily wage labourers to government employees. “ All of us are from the lower middle class families and it is impossible for us to go for better and more luxurious alternatives,” says another tenant. The occupants have voiced their ire against the Archeological Survey of India and the South Dum Dum Municipality, the joint owner of the plot, for not responding to their pleas. What Archaeological Survey of India officials say The Archaeological Survey of India took up the excavation work in 2001-2002. Interestingly, it unveiled traces of earlier settlements at the site even before the building was constructed. Antiques, including potteries, ornaments, terracotta, sculptures, perhaps, belonging to the post-Gupta period were discovered. According to the Archaeological Survey of India sources, the settlements dated even before the Christian missionaries came to India. The excavation of the Dum Dum mound unfolded secrets that lend great insight into the history of Kolkata. All this adds a greater significance to the site and indicates the need for an immediate facelift to the structure. “It is our duty to restore and preserve the history of Kolkata and of the country as well,” said Dr Bimal Bandopadhyay, superintendent archaeologist, ASI. He said that the ASI doesn’t have the authority to expel occupants from the site and thus have intimated south Dum Dum Municipal Corporation to do the needful. “The site was inaccessible and the lawlessness of the residents had transformed the site into a virtual litterbin. Walls were built indiscriminately within the Clive House precincts and the whole structure has now been brought to shape,” says Bandopadhyay. He said that if everything goes well, the building could be recognised as a major tourist spot in next 3-4 years. The present condition The building, at present, looks shabby as the revamp work is under process. The remaining portion of the building still hangs precariously, bricks jutting out of the walls that may fall anytime claiming lives. The sanitation arrangements are inadequate and the drains are chocked. The overflowing wastes pollute the atmosphere and the entire area is unclean and unhygienic. The stench and the wastes adds to the plight of the residents of the Clive’s colony adjacent to the main building. “We have to face a lot of problems, but we are helpless,” said a resident of the area. What history says The site used to be a favourite spot for Europeans who used to visit the city aeons ago. In fact, the name Dum Dum came from the Persian word “Damdama”, meaning a mound. The place though initially was called Damdama, the Clive House was named the Dumdum House. But the natives preferred to call it the “Killa” or the Fort. According to historians, the Clive Hall was possibly a Dutch or Portuguese factory and after the battle of Plassey, Lord Clive made the main building his country house introducing some changes to the architectural patterns. Some historians are even of the opinion that a historical treaty between the Europeans and the Nawab of Bengal was signed in that very building. During the later part of the 18th century, it became a hub for the Europeans and a number of colonial buildings sprang up in the same area. The mound It was believed that the mound was artificially built by importing soil from elsewhere but the excavations proved otherwise. The mound measures 200m long and 75m broad approximately. The Clive House is a reminder of the hey days of the glorious European rule in India. Kolkata, being the capital then, buildings like the Clive House were a pride of the city and thecolonial empire. Ravaged by time and the constant onslaughts of nature, the historic building had long been reeling under neglect. And the Archaeological Survey of India has stepped in at the right time to restore the vanished beauty of the site and salvage the pride of the city that has been long been synonymous with ancient monuments as precious as the Clive Hall. Original Post: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=184370

Patipukur fish market: A lost legacy

The accumulation of garbage coupled with overcrowding makes the Patipukur fish market a consumers’ nightmare. The only way out, feel residents and shopowners, would be for KMC to undertake its renovation as soon as possible. Satrajit Sen and Jahirul Haque Kolkata, May 26: It was once a nodal centre for fish trade in the region. Over the years, though, the Patipukur fish market has gradually turned out to be one of the worst-maintained fish markets in the city. Its present condition notwithstanding, the market has a legacy of its own — having sold numerous varieties of fish brought from the eastern districts of Bengal (now Bangladesh). Formerly known as the BK Paul fish market, its present business is restricted to fish brought from various parts of the country - from Andhra Pradesh and other southern states, Orissa and Maharashtra. “Eighty per cent of our business is dependent on fish brought from other states,” said Apurbo Sarkar, joint secretary, BK Pal Bazaar Paikari Motsyo Byabsayee Samiti. At a time when the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government is trying its best to provide adequate exposure and generate opportunities for small traders, the 700 traders connected to this market have little opportunity to earn more. With the state government busy wooing foreign investors, the betterment of these small traders is all but forgotten. When was the market established The Patipukur market was established by the zamindars during the British regime, almost a century ago. Called the BK Paul market (he helped organise the market), it is a key player in regional fish trade. At present, the ownership is in the hands of those who claim to be a part of zamindar families. Many shop-owners don’t have the money to prove ownership but are still putting up stalls. A section of traders have even offered to purchase the property: “This is because the owners have not been showing interest in developing or renovating the market. We could have renovated it if was in our hands,” claimed one of the shopowners. The problems As the garbage is not disposed of properly, the sewers get clogged, compounding the consumers’ nightmare. The going gets tough for both the sellers as well as those visiting the market, especially in the rainy season. “We can’t walk through the market. With the drains get blocked, rain water accumulates on the roads,” said Dulal Saha, a buyer. At present, 25,000 people are dependent on this market. The market has 115 stalls whose owners are members of the traders’ Association. The surrounding areas also remain dirty as the goods that are imported from other areas are unloaded here. This creates massive traffic snarls. The cramped stalls and overcrowding also makes this market vulnerable to fires. The market had caught fire twice,” says Badal Saha, the joint secretary of the Association. “The dirt and the garbage littered everywhere make it difficult move about in this market, “ said a regular customer of the market. Local residents fear that unless the KMC takes up the renovation of the market, there could be an outbreak of diseases. What the association has to say The BK Paul Bazar Paikari Motshyo Byabshayee Samiti looks after the entire market. This committee was formed by the traders who invested their own resources without taking any help from the administration. Subhas Chakraborty, who was elected from that area, was the first to take the initiative to form such an association. The traders claimed they had informed the minister of fisheries of the situation, but nothing happened. “We went on submitting petitions but they did not pay any heed,” said Saha. The traders are also planning to buy the market from the existing owners but have not been able to do so as they could not manage to collect the required amount. “Subhas Chakraborty negotiated the price with the owners and it was decided it would be Rs 70 lakh. We paid them 20 lakh but couldn’t gather the remaining amount over the last 5 years” said Saha. The Association is planning to make an appeal to the administration for helping them out. KMCspeak The market falls under the ward number 3 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Councillor of that ward Namita Das said that the KMC was not aware of the traders’ proposal to buy the market. “We are not aware of the deal,” she added. She also added that the Corporation will soon be undertaking the renovation of the market. “We are going to reconstruct the area. This would lessen the problems faced by both the buyers and the sellers” said Das. She, however, insisted that the sweepers were doing their job except when they were on leave. clean up work goes on regularly unless the sweepers are on leave. “They need to take leave. Only then is there no clean-up.” KMC needs to take matters into its own hands if this market is to retain its past glory. Originally published : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=184637

Where Bengaluru shops

By Satrajit Sen

“Select the city for initiating operations as carefully as you would select a bride for inhabiting your home” – we have replaced the word ‘architect’ with ‘city’ in this famous extract from ‘The Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand.

The reason is quite obvious and straight. And the context here is India’s much-vaunted IT city, Bengaluru.

Sample this: 

“We have a nostalgic link with Bengaluru…” – Shumone Chatterjee, country manager, Levi’s India.

“Bengaluru means big money…” – Rajan Malhotra, CEO, Big Bazaar

“There lies an opportunity…” – Vikas Bagga, VP, marketing and corporate affairs, M&B Footwear

“The city of choosers…” – Hemchandra Javeri, Industry veteran

“Bengaluru’s high streets are a success…” – JLLM

Retailers and brands have been unapologetically bullish on their expansion plans for Bengaluru. Chiefly on the strengths of increased salaries, evolving lifestyles, a slew of imported luxury brands, and probably an urge to be noted as host to millions of brand-conscious consumers in the country, Bengaluru has emerged as one of the most preferred retail destinations in the country.

Many national and international brands have been quite unanimous in their strategy of locating their biggest Indian outlet in Bengaluru. Besides exclusive brand outlets, numerous companies have been exploring options of setting up luxury high streets and shopping centres in the city.

According to an industry observer (associated with one of the leading retail, real estate and market research companies), high streets in Bengaluru seem to have gained more popularity than the air-conditioned shopping centres and malls. “People here prefer shopping in the open and, hence, the concept of enclosed shopping centres in the city is a failure. High streets including Brigade Road and Commercial Street have emerged as viable markets for retailers and brands. Retailers prefer opening a standalone store in the high streets, and will probably continue to do that,” the person said.

The IT revolution in the city might also be a reason for developers not being keen on coming up with new malls and shopping centres. “Developers are more aggressive on building new IT Parks as they can very easily pocket a huge amount of money from that,” according to the observer. 

In the research titled 'High Streets of India: Embracing Change’ by Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj (JLLM), revitalisation of high streets in India for allowing inclusive growth of retail is the new buzzword among the retail fraternity. JLLM explained that retail supply in the city is limited to inner locations of high streets. 

“Despite the high valuations and the spectre of time-to-time sealing in the non-regularised commercial streets, Bengaluru’s main high streets have been successful in targeting consumers as well as national and international retail brands,” says the report.

According to an industry veteran Hemchandra Javeri, “Bengaluru consumers are evolved and shop at high streets as well as malls in the city. Primarily, the ones looking for entertainment prefer malls, while high streets are the real shopping destinations.” Javeri has considerable understanding of the market as he has been instrumental in the launch of premium brands while he was president of Madura Garments. 

It’s not only the high streets or the city’s central business districts (CBDs), but also the markets of Koramangala, Indiranagar, Airport Road, Jayanagar and Malleshwaram that have been a jolly witness to the openings of renowned retail outlets. Pantaloon Retail, which owns the country's largest hypermarket chain Big Bazaar, has already reserved space of around 10 lakh square feet in these parts of the city.

Speaking to Indiaretailing about the company’s understanding of Bengaluru as a potential market, Rajan Malhotra, CEO, Big Bazaar, said, “We have already made a huge and successful presence in the city. Bengaluru means big money for us as the huge middle-class population is prepared to spend. We have already opened eight Big Bazaar outlets here, and all are doing well.”

“Before launching any store in a city, the catchment areas should be studied properly. Companies should invest a large chunk of their budget in studying the market potential and the viability of their brands. In our analysis of Bengaluru market, we found that the city is ably suited to our modus operandi,” said Malhotra. 

The company plans two more Big Bazaar locations in Bengaluru, taking the total to 10, which means almost every potential area will have one Big Bazaar with not less than 40,000 square feet. According to Malhotra, Bengaluru looks set to have the largest number of Big Bazaar outlets in the country.

Besides, some high-end brands have also made large openings in the city. In 2006, Jeans major Levi's had opened 'Levi's Square', its largest store in the Asia Pacific region and the second largest in the world, at over 9,000 square feet, in Bengaluru.

Citing reasons for choosing Bengaluru to open its largest store, Shumone Chatterjee, country manager, Levi Strauss India Pvt. Ltd said: "Bengaluru is not only a vibrant market, but is also the third largest revenue-generating centre for us in India. After Delhi, it is the most important market, and the company also has a nostalgic link since Levi's started operations in India 15 years back from here.”

Close on the heels of the Levi's launch, Adidas India inaugurated Asia’s largest Sport Performance Centre in Bengaluru. Spread across 9,000 square feet and over two floors, the store showcases a wide range of Adidas athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. Nautica’s largest outlet in India is also in the city.

According to the government estimates, Bengaluru is the seventh most affluent city in India. The city households have an average annual expenditure between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh, while 40 per cent of the city's population has annual incomes ranging between Rs 70,000 and Rs 1.4 lakh.

Bengaluru's population has increased around 30 per cent. It is estimated that over one-third of the 15-45 age group constitute a captive consuming class, and to tap this potential range of consumers, retailers and brands will have to be make apt decisions – be it to open in a mall or to go for a standalone store in a high street.

Original post: http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.asp?topic=&id=2238&associate=&vertical=&subvertical=

Bag’ging to go green from the retail store (Final part)

By Ranjan Kaplish and Satrajit Sen 

Say it loud – I'm green and I'm proud. 

We’ve replaced ‘black’ with ‘green’ in this famous James Brown number, as what we had assumed to be a less-talked-about issue among our retail community, is appreciatively being talked about and pondered upon. The first two parts of this series plainly put forth the idea of encouraging the use of handmade and biodegradable shopping bags. These two stories, in the last two days, easily had more than double the expected impact. Retailers approached Indiaretailing to know about the makers of such bags, and vice versa, while some also shared their experiences and reasoning for not being able to find alternatives.

Responsible alternative:

Here it is, the final part, discussing some alternative ideas, acknowledging those interested in using biodegradable bags and appreciating the ones taking pains in creating the same.

Chander Shaker Baddam of Luxor Writing Instruments mailed to Indiaretailing enquiring about Jan Sandesh, the NGO that sells paper bags handcrafted by needy women. 

Sharing plans of supplying eco-friendly plastic bags to corporate retailers, Gaurav Vora, director, Black Sheep Ventures, the company that has been supplying bags to various leading retailers, told Indiaretailing: “We are planning to introduce the concept of a ‘lifetime bag’, wherein a customer will have an option of buying a long-lasting plastic bag. These bags will not be dumped by the consumer; instead, he will bring it back to the outlet every time he comes to shop. If damaged, this bag will also be replaced free of cost, while the worn-out bag can be sent for recycling, ensuring its further utility and also preventing it from harming the environment.”

Retailers including Westside, Planet M, Globus and Reliance source bags from Black Sheep Ventures, and are probably considering the company’s proposal of introducing the ‘lifetime bag’

TS Ashwin of Odyssey expressed his support of biodegradable shopping bags and told Indiaretailing that for the last four years, Odyssey has been intermittently sourcing such bags from an NGO. He said, “All our products – toys, for instance – cannot be sold in a paper bag, as they have varied sizes and shape. However, we do use them for smaller items, and plan to introduce biodegradable bags at all our express-format stores that sell smaller products.” Ashwin assured he will engage an NGO to get such bags, while also making it a point to remind that it’s not just plastic that is harmful – even paper is not environment-friendly as it’s obtained from trees. He stated that the company is exploring options to have a 100 per cent eco-friendly solution.

People Tree is another retailer who, in association with an NGO, has been using green bags. Speaking to Indiaretailing about their idea of introducing environment-friendly bags, Satyajit Ranjan of People Tree said, “Since our inception, our motive has been to introduce environment-friendly products through our shops. We have identified tremendous potential in Jan Sandesh and, hence, are sourcing bags from them. In a month, we take around 700-800 bags from them.” 

People Tree retails garments, jewellery, books and accessories. The company operates through a franchisee in Great India Place mall in Noida and also has its own outlets in Pondicherry and Surajkund.

Literacy India introduced itself to Indiaretailing, claiming it has an eco-friendly solution. Speaking to Indiaretailing, Indrani Singh, founder of Literacy India, a charitable organisation that has been supplying waste-paper bags to various corporate groups, said, “We have been delivering paper bags to Revolutions, a fashion retailer based in Noida, and Tupperware, a direct-selling company and manufacturer of kitchen ware. Till date none of the retail biggies have contacted us, though we do have the potential of delivering such products to them.”

Literacy India is a Gurgaon-based NGO that focuses on providing education and self-employment opportunities for the needy children in villages.

It is to be noted here that NGOs that are in the process of making paper bags actually craft these by using waste newspapers (newsprint) generally obtained from junk dealers, and this paper is biodegradable and can be recycled to produce paper maché handicraft.

Original post: http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.asp?id=2117&topic=1title

Bag’ging to go green from the retail store (Part II)

By Satrajit Sen

Yesterday, Indiaretailing spoke to some retailers about the ‘violation of an essential part of the society’s environmental code through using non-degradable carrybags’. 

Some majors in the business agreed that while the bags that they are using are not environment-friendly, they cannot yet avoid the use of polythene bags as there are no convenient alternatives. 

Retailers also appreciated Indiaretailing’s idea of association with NGOs who make paper bags out of waste material, citing it as an ‘add on’ to their corporate social responsibility (CSR). Indiaretailing, thus, went a step ahead to locate the ones who can associate with retailers and help in meeting their CSR objectives and business needs by providing economical alternatives to polythene bags. 

Jan Sandesh, a charitable organisation that employs needy women to manufacture paper bags, says that it has the potential to meet the needs of corporate retailers who seek an economical alternative to polythene bags. Sakar International, manufacturer and exporter of handmade paper bags, also provides eco-friendly alternatives to polythene bags. 

The potential ones: 

Speaking to Indiaretailing, Shanti Paswan, joint secretary of Jan Sandesh, said: “Till date, none of the corporate retail giants from India has approached us. On the other hand, a UK-based jewellery retailer is our regular buyer. In India, a major export house takes our bags to meet demands of his foreign buyers. People Tree is the only Indian corporate retailer in our list. They have been sourcing our bags from day one of our operations, and this has been a successful association – in sync with our social ideology and People Tree’s CSR.” 

Paswan informed that many traditional retailers have opted for their bags. “We move from market to market to sell our products. Some of the kiranawallas do show interest in the bags, but understandably, they cannot buy in bulk.” 

Jan Sandesh’s handmade bags made from waste material are priced at Rs 5 - Rs 22 per piece, and are costlier than polybags. However, if a retail company places the price factor in the larger context of the monetary value of what it spends on various CSR and branding activities, the price may seem to be a non-factor considering that it also boosts the company’s image and respectability. “The manufacturing cost of these bags is high as they are handmade and a lot of labour and time goes into their making. We also have to hand-paste the labels or logos of the companies for whom we manufacture. A lot of raw material is also expended in training the new, unskilled recruits,” informed Paswan. 

Jan Sandesh is a charitable organisation operating from a rented location in one of Delhi’s slum areas and provides training, jobs and income to needful women and adolescents. It earns not more than two to three rupees per bag, and lesser if selling in bulk. 

Citing alternatives for polythene bags, Vijay Kumar, business head, Sakar International, a company engaged in exporting handmade paper bags to international retailers, said: “Retailers should try and focus on using bags made of recyclable paper. These bags will cost lower than the handmade bags.” He further said that many international wholesalers and retailers have been sourcing decorative paper bags from the company, and are selling these in the overseas market. 

Asked whether the company will be able to provide retailers with alternatives for polythene bags, Kumar said, “We have not yet thought about the proposition as none of the country’s corporate retailers have approached us. If anyone approaches us, we will definitely think of joining hands with them.” 

Original post: http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.asp?topic=1&id=2112&associate=&vertical=&subvertical

 

‘Bag’ging to go green from the retail store (Part I)

By Ranjan Kaplish

‘If selling is my profession, I make sure that the products that I sell are carried, handled and delivered conveniently, keeping the customer king happy always.’  

 
All those in the business of retail would believe and say so. However, ironically, all of them are aware that under the ‘customer convenience’ cover they are largely violating an essential part of the society’s environmental code, even as they admit that the ubiquitous carrybag and such other packaging material inside the store constitute a ‘real environment hazard’. 

 
Indiaretailing tried to understand some retail majors’ stand on the less-talked-about issue of environment-friendly initiatives, primarily the use of paper/environment-friendly bags to sell goods. Most of them agreed polythene bags are not conducive, but insist there are not many alternatives for the same. At the same time, all of them do have future plans and are exploring possibilities to replace polybags. 

 
Retailers on ‘green’ bags Speaking to Indiaretailing, Rajan Malhotra, CEO, Big Bazaar, said, “We understand that polybags should not be promoted, but we hardly have an alternative. For instance, paper bags cannot be used to carry 5-10 kilograms of rice or sugar.” 

 
So, why are smaller, easy-to-carry items also sold in a polybag, or why customers not wanting a polybag are also forced to take one at Big Bazaar? To this, Malhotra said the company will soon have paper bags for smaller items, and, besides, looking at the stringent norms of certain states, they will have to use them in any case. Malhotra also assured that he would instruct all Big Bazaar outlets to not force polybags upon customers and to issue these only at customers’ discretion. 

 
Answering a query if the company would welcome NGOs’ (who involve street children and women in making bags out of waste material) proposal to make bags for them, Malhotra spoke in affirmation and said, “Such initiatives are always welcome, as they are part of our corporate social responsibility.” 

 
Vikas Bagga of M&B Footwear also agreed on the same note, saying, “Though the company has been in the process of introducing trendy bags that go with the brand’s theme, we are also exploring possibilities of introducing paper bags.” Bagga said that the company would welcome NGOs’ and other organisations’ proposals to create such bags for them as such a move would be part of the company’s larger social responsibility, towards not just the environment but also the under-privileged.

When Indiaretailing quizzed Lalit Kumar of Vishal Retail, he, too, cited his own reason for not being able to avoid the use of polybags, while also confirming that they would introduce ‘green’ bags in the future. He expressed appreciation for the proposal to use NGO-produced bags in stores. 

 
On the face of it, although most of the Indian buyers do not seem much expressive or conscious about the environment, it may be noted here that some multinationals, including the major fashion and lifestyle retailers, have stopped the use of polybags and introduced trendy paper/jute/cotton-made bags that are carried to make a fashion statement. 

 

Original post: http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.aspx?Id=2107

Ram Das Mohan Lal Maheshwari: Crafting its niche identity

By Satrajit Sen

Notwithstanding the corporate retail chains or the exclusive ethnicwear outlets, the traditional dukandar of women’s ethnicwear still contributes a significant share to the growth of the country’s ethnicwear market. With minimum investments made for advertisement campaigns and marketing initiatives, Ram Das Mohan Lal Maheshwari in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh is another such contributor to India’s ethnicwear market.

With ethnicwear collections sourced from various places of India, Ram Das Mohan Lal Maheshwari has successfully created a niche identity in the minds of the people in Hapur and is planning to expand its footprints in other parts of the country.

The Shop:

Established 60 years back by Mohan Lal Maheshwari as a small saree shop in Hapur, Ram Das Mohan Lal Maheshwari today has labelled itself as a well known brand in the NCR’s ethnicwear retail sector. Catering to the emotions and desires of about 216,100 people of Hapur through its ethnicwear collection, Ram Das Mohan Lal Maheshwari has seen the evolving phase of people’s lifestyle as consumers today want a blend of ethnic and westernwear. This probably is the reason why this niche retailer also stocks collections from brands including Raymonds, Grasim, Digjam, Reid & Taylor and Belmonte.

According to Madhav Maheshwari, the owner of the store, the womenswear market in India was always traditionally serviced and the concept of blending tradition and fashion is relatively new in the unorganised sector. “The modern Indian woman is equally comfortable in jeans and capris as she is in ethnic churidar-kurta. Our motive has always been to strike the right balance between tradition and modernity,” says Maheshwari.

Explaining the rationale behind this motive, Maheshwari held that westernwear has been creeping into the consciousness of the young urban Indian woman, especially after the cultural upheaval brought by the rising level of information and media exposure. “Fusion fashion is the buzzword in the country’s ethnicwear industry. The demand for Indo-westernwear is now gaining momentum like never before,” he informed.

Explaining their understanding of the Indian ethnicwear market, Maheshwari said that the Indian population is unique in Asia and has maintained a niche identity despite the cultural onslaught in food, films and clothing from the West. “The sheer proliferation of retail space has definitely contributed to the development in this niche segment of Indian retail. With consumerism achieving new heights in the country, the availability of retail space has encouraged many ethnicwear retailers to open new branches in various cities,” says Maheshwari.

The Consumer:

Women form 80 per cent of the shop’s consumer base and the store is taking initiatives in making ethnicwear more popular among the male clientele as well.

“The Indian woman is proud of her identity and is happy to flaunt it. Design consciousness has made ethnicwear a fashion statement. Hemlines, necklines and colours follow global trends but are also very much in keeping with the local culture. Indian women want these and we have an expertise in providing the desired collection to our consumers,” says Maheshwari.

However, the company is also working towards promoting ethnicwear among males. The urban Indian male, now, is not afraid to be seen in pink khadi kurtas and according to Maheshwari, “Today, men wearing short kurtas inscribed with ‘Oms’ and other religious motifs are as common a sight as men wearing stiff white shirts. Most of the ethnicwear brands also design cotton shirts for men in materials like raw silk and solid colours. This is a refreshing change that is being experienced in this segment.”

The collection: 

The company says that the bulk of shopping from its store is based on impulse. Consumer demand in this category is very seasonal which increases in the festive seasons and special occasions including marriages and religious ceremonies. Hence, Maheshwari feels that the stock and the collection displayed in their windows, needs to be strong enough to attract the consumer’s attention.

“We want to give our consumer the best variety in ethnicwear fashion and so we select products from various places of India keeping in mind our customer preferences,” is what Maheshwari says about his collection.

The store sources its products from various manufacturers and wholesalers in different parts of the country that include Jaipur, Kolkata, Pochampalli in Andhra Pradesh, Erode in Tamil Nadu, Salem and Jodhpur. It has a team of fashion experts who study the consumer interests very closely and then sources the collections accordingly. 

“Our experts go to the weavers, manufacturers and wholesalers in different areas to get the stuff done according to our specification, keeping in mind our customer’s expectation. Our carefully selected team of fashion experts perfectly translate the individual lifestyle embodied by the respective line,” informs Maheshwari. 

Speaking about the most retailed collection in the store, Maheshwari informed that hand and block printed short kurtas are all time favourites. Besides, designer kurtas in vibrant colours; long crinkled skirts with gota edges and khari work and white cotton or chanderi dupattas are among the most retailed products in the outlet.

Branding the store:

According to its promoters, Ram Das Mohan Lal Maheshwari has now evolved as a concept that combines elegant designs with sophisticated materials and functionality. Branding this concept to the consumers is not considered to be a necessity as the store is a known destination for ethnicwear in Hapur.

“The store’s windows display our collections that have been speaking about us for the last 60 years and we invest in expanding our collections. We do spend in advertisement campaigns in print and electronic media whenever a collection is added. Besides, we also send newsletters and festival offers occasionally,” informed Maheshwari. 

Grievances and Plans:

Listing out impediments for growth, the company voiced out its grievances against some government policies. “Government should not charge VAT on clothes, rather this should be under excise duty as it was done earlier. This tax has hampered a lot of our plans and prospects,” said Maheshwari.

However, the company has recently opened a ready to wear apparel shop in Hapur. Called Satyam Fashion, the outlet retails apparel from some upcoming as well as renowned brands. The company has also lined up an aggressive expansion plan as it will open its branches across Delhi and the NCR. “We have already booked some spaces around NCR and will be opening within the next six months. Besides we are also considering options to open through the franchise route,” informed Maheshwari.

The company is not planning to open outlets in malls and shopping centres as it feels that doing this will require a lot of investments. “The mall developers charge a huge amount of money as rentals. Hence we have decided to expand our own way and are not opening in malls and shopping centres.”

The ethnicwear industry, according to the KSA Images analysis, is steadily growing at around 35 per cent a year, and the company has set a vision to be counted among the top five ethnic wear retailers in the country by 2010. 

Original post: http://www.indiaretailing.com/ram-das-mohan-lal-maheshwari.asp

An idea can change a brand’s life

By Satrajit Sen

Vijender Kumar could not be an alchemist and turn his bronze to a silver or gold medal in the Olympics, but he definitely has achieved the stature of an icon in India. Virtually within hours of him achieving his Olympic feat, this photogenic Haryana lad has been roped in by sportswear brand Adidas as its ambassador.

Besides Vijender, the company is looking to get associated with pugilists Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar who brought India glory with their unexpectedly good show at the Beijing Olympics.

“We are clearly looking at extending our relationship with them,” said Adidas India MD Andreas Gellner. The company is in talks with managers of the athletes for endorsement contracts. Once finalised, the contracts will be for around eight years.

Adidas currently has cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina and tennis player Sania Mirza as its brand ambassadors in India. Reebok has cricketers including Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and a string of under-19 players as brand ambassadors while Puma has Sourav Ganguly.

Celebrity brand endorsement

Aligning brands with legends can be immensely valuable in terms of brand-building --provided that the personalities remain closely aligned to the brand values. India’s new-found sports stars are the newest kids on the block and can expect to be hounded by scores of brands and retailers for endorsements. Till date, brands have been aligning themselves with celebrities who predominantly belong to Bollywood or cricket. (Just to give an example, during 2002, the then India's cricket captain, Sachin Tendulkar, was the country's top brand endorser with 12 brands to his name ranging from Pepsi and Colgate Total to Fiat Palio and Adidas.)

Shifting preferences in terms of background of these celebrities is probably what some brands are somewhat apprehensive about, as displayed by Reebok and Nike both of which have decided not to go down this path.

When Indiaretailing dug deep to find out and study the primary drivers of brand endorsements in India, it found that there are two important things that the Indian branding industry is lacking in: According to experts, there is a scarcity of icons in India (no pun intended!) and also the advertising industry is missing some genuine creative concepts.

Speaking to Indiaretailing, Akashendu Das (popularly known as Akash Das), veteran advertising professional, said, “India has a serious lack of actual icons. When we speak of icons our choices get limited to people from Bollywood and cricket, which are equally glamourous fields. How many times do we find a big corporate house choosing to eschew celebrity endorsements in favour of creative campaigning? Even newspapers these days have gone for celebrity endorsements.”

Citing reasons for this, Das held that the frequent appearances of these stars and players in front of the media and masses have led the advertisers to believe that their brands will be recalled by consumers whenever they see those icons. “But the fact in this case is that the brand is remembered less while the celebrity becomes memorable. I have had people speaking to me about Shahrukh’s brilliant performance in an advertisement with Maruti, while the star actually endorses Hyundai,” he informed.

On a similar note, Harish Bijoor, brand expert and the CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, said, “Bollywood and cricket are seen as two mediums that can attract the lowest common denominators of the Indian population. Hence, I feel that the trend of signing up people from other backgrounds cannot be taken as a viable option for branding in the industry.”

Bijoor also admitted that the frequent appearances of these stars do play an important role in making them more ‘saleable’ as brand ambassadors. Bijoor also pointed out that glamourous stars including Leander Paes and Sania Mirza could not ride out the competition as they were not featured in the media frequently enough, whereas a new player like Ishant Sharma became famous overnight.

Where’s the Big Idea?

Speaking further, Das asserted that the Indian advertising and branding industry has been missing out on some brilliant ideas. “Actually, it is not only about the absence of icons and real celebrities, it is about the lack of a brilliant idea. The creative impact of a brilliant idea will always sustain in the consumer’s psyche, even if there are no celebrities involved,” said Das.

Citing the highly popular advertising campaigns of Happydent and Fevicol, both of which do not have a celebrity involved, Das said that such campaigns remain in public memory over many other star-backed advertisements.

Research conducted by Bates in India to track consumer opinion on the 'relevance and effectiveness of celebrity advertising in building brands', urged brands to 'de-celebritise' and focus on ideas. Concluding that ideas, and not celebrities, build brands, the study identified the optimum celebrity 'fits' and the cases where celebrities overshadowed brand-building performance.

The survey showed that in the case of cars, celebrity endorsers helped the brands attain almost instant recall. The study also showed that consumers were not naïve, and were able to identify a clear difference between a good script and a good brand idea.

Creating celebrities

When quizzed by Indiaretailing on whether a brand can associate itself with an upcoming talent from any field and help in creating new icons for the industry, Das said, “With the amount of money that is pumped in by a brand for an advertising campaign, I do not think that they will take the risk of featuring an upcoming star. We had once decided to shoot a campaign for Adidas with a national level athlete, but the plans never took off. However, it can be looked upon as a viable option to develop new celebrities.”

However, according to Bijoor, companies such as Reliance and other corporate giants should develop a bank of around 20 not-so-famous celebrities and use them in low-cost advertisements. The one that attracts the target audience in the most effective manner can then be developed as the company’s brand ambassador.

“Banks and steel companies have done it; I feel retailers and brands should work on this idea as an option to counter the unavailability of emerging icons in the country,” Bijoor commented.

Original Post: http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.aspx?Id=2382

Anything and everything in the name of Kali!

Anything and everything in the name of Kali!

Devotees thronging the Kalighat temple are wooed by a host of pandas, and the unsuspecting ones are sure to be robbed by conmen.

Satrajit Sen and Jahirul Haque

Kolkata, May 31: Once you step out of Kalighat Metro station you are sure to be wooed by a host of pandas who would want to guide you to the famous Kalighat temple. “Kali temple...Kali temple, may I guide you?”— such welcome note is common near the temple. This is how the pandas or brokers start their daily business of earning money from visitors who throng the temple in hordes everyday. And if you are gullible enough to fall into their trap you are in for a ride. They will willy-nilly rob you of your precious money in the name of myriad rituals and ceremonies, prasad, dakshina and various other sacrifices. According to Ashok Halder, executive member of the council of sevaits, crores of rupees and other valuables are offered by devotees to the goddess every year. “Especially, during Poila Baishak, Ashthami and Kali Puja the amount offered by devotees even amount to Rs 300,000 per day”. These special occasions are the prize days to earn money as devotees visit the Kalighat temple in large numbers.”The three occasions are the best three palas of the year,” says Halder. A pala is the responsibility of a sevait to help the devotees complete their rituals in an ordered manner.

The council of sevaits, however, voiced its anger on both the Kalighat Temple Committee (KTC) and the administration for not sorting out various problems in the temple. According to Halder, the fund for the goddess is empty. “Despite huge amount of money being poured into the temple by devotees, the KTC is still clueless about its mysterious disappearance. And in fact, there is no document either that can account for the loss,” complains Halder. According to rules, half the amount collected from devotees is supposed to go to the funds for the goddess and the rest should go to the KTC funds. But according to the council of sevaits, everything is amiss and nothing seems to work out. “Misappropriation of funds is rampant inside the temple and within the temple authorities. And the KTC is just doing nothing. We went to the district judge with our complaints but all our pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears,” rued Halder.

The council has alleged that higher officials of the KTC, including the district judge, who is head of the KTC, is also involved in swindling oodles of money received from devotees. According to Halder, he has filed a case against the alleged people in High Court and the hearing will come up on June 6. He has also filed a similar case in the Supreme Court.

According to council members the police are deeply involved in various malpractices within the temple premises and are thus reluctant to take any action when complaints are filed against them.

According to the council there are numerous other problems plaguing the temple. Pickpockets rule the roost on the temple premises thus creating a sense of insecurity among the devotees.”We face complaints from visitors on a regular basis and when we approach the police, they fail to provide us with a satisfactory answer,” says another temple official.

Ajay Banerjee, son of a sevait, said the sale of palas is another problem area. By rule, a son of a sevait can only become a sevait himself after his father’s demise. But there are several sevaits who still have their fathers living and working in the temple. Halder rued that many sevaits are in league of selling palas to others in order to earn a good amount of money. “The sevaits are assigned in a hereditary manner. And one will not be called a sevait even if he buys the position for an amount of Rs 6,000 to Rs 40,000,” says Halder.

There are also other problems, including lack of medical facility inside the temple premises, inadequate arrangement for sick and emergency patients or merely a first-aid box. “The authorities are not even bothered to hire a doctor inside the temple premises for an emergency,” said Banerjee.

Already, the temple has earned a bad name for itself and instances of pickpockets are too many. “My pocket was picked in the Kalighat temple premises when I went to offer my prayers to the goddess a few days back,” said Sumanta Bhattacharya, an advocate.

The problem of pandas and the gradual spurt in the rise of anti-social activities inside the temple premises have tarnished the image of the temple. Complaints of harassment, molestation, pickpockets, conmen and so on and so forth are now synonymous with Kalighat temple. And every time one contacts the police, the stock reply is: “You better ask the KTC, it is their temple, not ours.” This, in fact, was told to a harried devotee when he met the OC, Kalighat.

The Kalighat temple is one of the oldest pilgrimage spots in India. Going by its popularity and the number of devotees flocking the temple everyday, it is time the police took concrete steps to beef security for visitors and made the temple ambience salubrious and free from anti-social activities.

Original post: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=185594

Funds crunch cripples College St Coffee House

Funds crunch cripples College St Coffee House

Once an oasis for coffee lovers and intellectuals, the College street Coffee House is now in a shambles due to lack of maintenance. Our correspondent provide an overview

Satrajit Sen and Jahirul Haque

The Coffee House at College Street is now a mere shadow of its glorious past. Shorn of the glamour, the Coffee House lacks upkeep and maintenance. But such is the magic of this heritage site that the young and the old still flock to this place - a rendezvous of friends past and present. From gossips, addas, fun chats, intellectual discussions, brainstorming sessions by city elite, Coffee House has carved a niche in the hearts of culture-savvy Kolkatans. And those who feel the importance and value of the place realise a speedy renovation work and a quick facelift are the need of the hour. The Coffee House is now under the dotage of the All India Coffee Workers’ Co-operative Society. But according to many, the society has failed to take up initiatives to bring it at par with world-famous coffee joints. “The concerned people need to shrug off their inertia and plunge headlong into a speedy recovery of the lost glory of the heritage site,” said Subhojit Sarkar, a student of Kolkata Medical College & Hospital. Others are equally vocal regarding the crying need to renovate the old building. And in case there is a dearth of funds, the authorities must hand over the project to private hands. What the society says According to the All India Coffee Workers’ Co-operative Society, it is going through a huge financial crunch that has kept them from undertaking immediate renovation work. “It is impossible for us to take up the revamping process by ourselves. We want some private or government concern to help us out with it,” said Subhas Ganguly, accountant of the society. According to him, the plan is at a nascent stage and they are yet to advertise inviting companies to help them out with the project. Though a few companies have already approached the society with offers to renovate the age-old Coffee House of Kolkata, the offers were thwarted due to reasons best known to them. “Companies like the Asian Paints and many others had approached us with the renovation offer. But there was a clash of norms as their conditions did not match ours,” said Dipankar Das Gupta, another accountant of the society.

The society, though is not willing to revamp the entire Coffee House building, it has plans of restoring the pristine look to the old world structure. “We only want to reconstruct the walls and beautify the looks without much demolition. The huge Victorian bastions, the long winding stairs and the intricate craft work will be retained to make the visitors feel the age and warmth of the almost mythic building,” said Das Gupta.

History of the Coffee House building

The Coffee House has a rich historical and cultural lineage. Before Independence, the place was famous as Albert Hall. Dignitaries like Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose were frequent visitors to the place. According to the society, the Coffee Board opened its office there in 1942. At that time Bengalis were not too keen on coffee and with a view to promoting this drink among the people of Kolkata, the Coffee Board opened an outlet there. “Since then, the place has been famous for its rich coffee and intellectual get-togethers,” said Ganguly.

In 1958, the Coffee Board decided to shut down its office and close the outlet. “Personalities like Prof Nirmal Bhattacharya, Sunil Ganguly approached the then chief minister BC Roy not to shut down the place. Roy then acquired the place and started the Coffee House Co-operative society,” informed Ganguly. Since then, the place has been a hub of intellectuals.

The present state

At present, the Coffee House is in a shambles. Despite on the verge of completing 50 years, the age-old hub is in desperate need for renovation. “We are going to complete 50 years next year. But alas, the renovation work is still pending. We need some funds for the massive revamp project,” rued Ganguly.

Though on an average basis the Coffee House enjoys an income of Rs 22,000 to Rs 24,000 per day, according to the society, the amount varies from day to day and from season to season. “During vacations, the population gets thin as students from colleges and universities mostly come here for addas and fast food,” said Das Gupta.

But braving all odds, the society is still planning a grand celebration on the the Coffee House’s fiftieth b’day bash. “Though we have not yet planned anything in pen and paper, we are, indeed, looking forward to a a grand celebration,” said Ganguly.

What the people say

Coffee House to Kolkatans is like an oasis in a desert. No one can deny the mystic feeling when one climbs the stairs of the hallowed building and drowns in the cacophony of sounds that surge like tidal waves in the spacious rooms of the oldest coffee joint in the city. Not only the city people but even foreigners take time to peep into one of the oldest wonders of Kolkata. Andrew Peters, a resident of UK, said: “I heard about Coffee House from my grandpa who was born in Kolkata. From then onwards, I was interested in visiting the place of my dreams.” In fact, many foreigners to the city feel that the Coffee House, if revamped, will definitely add a leaven to the academic charm of the College Street area. It will not only stand as one of the most revered heritage sites of the city, but also woo people from afar for a sip of coffee in an oasis of camaraderie.

Original post: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=185955