It should be noted that Wal-mart is not a new entrant they are already in India with Bharti, they have already set up easy day and running successfully. Big Bazar is already doing great business. Have we done any study of impact of these retail giant on local shopkeepers or say farmers ? No. why ? Not required. reason : There have been no impact on these sections at all !

In multi-brand we are already having players like, Big Bazar, Spencers, Vishal Mega Mart, Ritu wears, shoppers stop etc.

This is time of making mature decisions for BJP. UP is up and BJP believe it , following Anna because people follow him need not to be replicated in FDI, oppose FDI because Mayawati, Jaylalita, Mamta Banrejee oppose it.

Movie dekho

The Mobile store has launched ‘mobile pe movie free offer’. To avail this offer consumer need to purchase a handset worth rs. 3000 or more. He shall be eligible for offer. As per offer he may get up to 12 movie tickets. consumer shall not be denied offer he shall get minimum two movie tickets.

TMS is very exciting with this offer. They said they are not giving pre-booking tickets. Tickets shall be open for all multiplex across India. So customer can choose his showtime, his move and his theater. All Major multiplex has been enrolled for this say PVR, Satyam, wave cinema, Galaxy.

This is unparalleled offer in industry and those who are looking to buy handset this weekend will be double bonanza as TMS says ‘ Mobile pe Movie Free.

As per consumerdayy study http://www.consumerdaddy.com/consumer-reviews-for-spice-hotspot-electronics-dealers-p-15554.htm Spice hotspot just scored 5 out of 10 for consumer satisfation.

Spice Retail Limited, New Delhi is a multi-brand mobile and technology retail chain. They deal with a wide range of mobile phones, phone accessories, laptops, cameras, etc. Brands offered by them include Spice, Blackberry, Nokia, LG, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, HTC, Fly, Micromax, Lava, etc. Phone accessories offered by them include hands free, Bluetooth headset, bike charger, battery, Bluetooth speaker, decal, audio adapter, screen guard, travel charger, boom headset, car kit, card reader, carrying case, disc organiser, digital speaker, face place, mobile applications, gaming kit, head phone, stereo headset, etc. Spice Retail has branches across Andhra Pradesh, NCR, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarkhand, West Bengal, etc. spice retail is run by Sanjeev mahajan, Global CEO.

Essar Retail has a combined turnover of $1.5 billion (Rs 6,750 crore), over half of which is contributed by steel retail followed by retail business in mobile and consumer durables, and information technology products and oil retailing.

Essar has brought all its retailing arms — The MobileStore (TMS) and The ElectronicStore — which retail mobile and consumer durables and information technology products, and Essar Hypermart, which retails steel and fuel retail operations of Essar Oil, under Essar Retail to draw synergies. Alok Gupta, the former director of Café Coffee Day, who recently moved job and city to join the group, is heading Essar Retail as its chief executive officer.

“This allows us to operate across the geographies — from metros, mini metros to rural India. We can talk across SECs (socio-economic classifications), age groups and consumers with diverse needs. We can offer life-time value for consumers, who use mobiles, energy and steel needs and keep coming to us for their needs,” Gupta said in an exclusive interaction with Business Standard.

He, however, ruled out venturing into any new segment of retail in the immediate future.

“For the next 12-24 months, we will continue to focus on our current verticals and within each vertical, we need to put new channels of retail, we have to explore the whole e-retailing and digital space,” Gupta added.

Essar Hypermart has 616 steel retail outlets and plans to increase the number to 750 by the end of this year. TMS, Essar’s telecom retail chain, has 1,000 stores and has 50 per cent share of the organised market . In the current financial year, TMS plans to add 250 stores, of which 75 per cent would be via the franchisee route. In fuel retail, Essar Oil runs 1,381 outlets, and an additional 254 are under various stages of construction.

Gupta says all the retail formats are Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) positive and he expects Essar Hypermart and TMS, its major retail ventures, to break-even by 2012-13. He did not give break-ups for the verticals.

Steel retailing business is getting readied for the second phase of growth.

Essar is collaborating with designers and fabricators to bring out better quality designs in products and sell these in its hypermarkets.

“If you look at steel products we use in our daily lives, their designs have not changed in the last 20-25 years. We believe there lies an opportunity. We are looking at pre-fabricated doors, equipment which we use in day to day life,” says Gupta. He says the company does not mind local retailers selling the products as long as they are produced by its manufacturing partners who tap designs provided by Essar and make everything with the steel made by the company.

Essar Retail also plans to make its steel outlets as a one-stop shop for construction-related products. Through Essar Hypermart and other formats such as Expressmart and Expresspoint (both are dealer-owned and dealer-run) it will sell cement, paints and other hardware under one roof.

Mobiles and IT products

Gupta says the company plans to aggressively sell consumer durables and IT products through TMS. It has already started selling durables and IT products in 50-odd stores in NCR and plans to take it to other cities.

He believes display and catalogue sales is possible in 40 per cent of TMS stores and the rest through catalogue sales.

“We believe the market is moving towards small-box formats, where consumer wants easy access. On an average, we do seven and eight million transactions in TMS across the categories. Our objective is to work with footfall and try and fit into consumer durables and IT,” he adds.

TMS has kept the assortment fairly tight and displays LCD televisions, laptops and cameras on display and rest like washing machines, refrigerators and so on are sold through catalogue.

But how confident is Essar of retailing durables through TMS work when a host of chains such as Croma, Reliance Digital and Next offer wide range of products at competitive prices?

“We offer sheer convenience, value and credibility customers do not mind buying a high value item in small box store. It is a matter of leveraging our current relationship and provide right value,” he added.

The company is also looking at retailing consumer durables and IT products through Essar Oil outlets

Armed with nine years of professional experience in sales and marketing of FMCGs, Chakrawarti joined Trent Ltd in November 2000. He is a graduate from IIT Kanpur and holds a PGDM degree from IIM Bangalore.

Meanwhile, Ashutosh Pandey, deputy COO, will take up a new role as COO of Landmark.

GoodGuide is a website set up in the US of A and by all accounts is a spin-off from the  TechCrunch50 crowd. How they differ from other chart sites is that they have a rating system based on social and environmental issues. This means they take in to account the materials used, the packaging the phone comes in, the effectiveness of the charger and even the details of the carbon footprint the phone has getting from factory to store, to your hands.

In its latest research it has shown that Nokia has the best credentials of any phone manufacturer, taking more care and pride in its products than anyone else.

However, for those who need a quick overview, here are is the list of criteria:

Energy management (product)
Toxic waste (product)
Environmental disclosure (product)
Product management (product)
Eco-materials management (product)
Green production practices (company)
Extended producer responsibility (company)

Want to know which device came top overall? Well it was the Nokia C6, that’s right, the funky little 3.2-inch smartphone with the slide-out QWERTY keyboard that many thought was just a simple Nokia N97 Mini update.

Check out the most environmentally sensible phone manufacturers:
1. Nokia
2. Sony Ericsson
3. Apple
4. Pantech
5. Palm
6. Kyocera Sanyo
7. Motorola
8. HTC
9. Samsung
10. Curitel

So, there you have it, Nokia beats all other manufacturers hand down when it comes to the eco-stakes. Sure, companies are improving and we can all do are bit to help preserve the Earth’s resources. The question is, are mobile phone manufacturers being as eco-friendly as they can be? Let us know what you think in the Comments below

Pranab mukherjee

The aim is to ensure more efficient distribution of farm products and minimum wastage.

At present, FDI in multi-brand retail is prohibited, but the government allows 51% FDI in single brand retailing and 100% in wholesale trade.

The debate has gathered steam in recent weeks with many within the government espousing the view that FDI in multi-brand retail will help rein in food prices.

Last month cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar, the country’s topmost bureaucrat, suggested in a presentation to cabinet ministers that FDI in multi-brand retail should be allowed as a medium to long-term measure to improve distribution.

Foreign investment in retail has been a politically contentious issue. Domestic traders lobby groups and Left-wing political parties have expressed concern that transnational giants offering deep discount sales in mega stores would put at risk the livelihood of neighbourhood mom-and-pop stores and street vendors.

DIPP had floated a discussion paper in July making a strong pitch for opening the retail sector to foreign direct investment (FDI) that would allow global giants such as Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour to set up mega stores in India.

The Planning Commission is also in favour of opening up the retail sector to FDI.

“FDI in multi-brand retail trading should be permitted, since it will have both positive direct and indirect effects that are of value to the national economy,” it has said.

The food and consumer affairs ministry has favoured opening up FDI in multi-brand retail with 49% cap.

“This (FDI in multi-brand retail) will help local enterprise to upgrade their technology and practices to face competition from MNCs,” the food ministry said in its comments on the discussion paper.

• Customers at TMS to get booklet containing wide range of discount vouchers for high-end travelling destinations, eating-out, lifestyle and holidaying
• Upto 30 % off on select handsets from top brands, such as, Nokia, Samsung, Blackberry, Motorola, LG, Micromax and Spice
• Mobile Phone accessories free with a wide range of handsets

With romance in the air, the month of February brings an array of offers to all The MobileStore customers.  So, now buyers can own the latest handset that they have always desired from the wide range , at best prices and also get a booklet full of discount coupons to enjoy the whole month holidaying, travelling and eating out at never- before- rates with their special ones.

To reiterate its commitment to the Indian mobile consumers and to reward customers who have shown continued loyalty, by retuning to The MobileStore time and again, the country’s largest telecom retailer has introduced special February offers for all its customers.

Here is a chance to avail a “Discount voucher booklet” on purchase of every mobile handset above Rs. 3000/, and extend your Valentine day celebration to the entire month by availing a wide range of discounts and offers on holidays, travelling, shopping, gifts, lifestyle, dining and entertainment. In fact the customers can spend on things they have always wanted.

The MobileStore is also offering select handsets at great discounts upto 30% off from various brands ranging from Nokia, Samsung, Blackberry, Motorola, LG, Micromax and Spice to make the month even more exciting, Besides these the stores are also offering a wide range of phone accessories free on select handsets.

Commenting on the new offering, Mr. Alok Gupta, Group Head –Essar Retail, said “We, at The MobileStore are always striving to make a better connect with the consumers. Sometime back we introduced Dial-a-phone offer, which has set a new trend in the industry. Now with the February offers we expect to get even closer to our customers. Experience selling being the hallmark of our stores, we are always eager to give something more to our customers; hence we will continue to come up with innovative schemes. The February offers are one step closer towards enhancing buying experience.”

The offers are available across 1100 stores spread over 200 cities in India, throughout February. Needless to say that it would be the early birds who will benefit the most. So indulge in shopping like never before.