MEGA STORES AND MALLS-CAN THEY SUSTAIN INDEFINITELY?

So much is being talked, discussed and written about entry of giant global retailers into India where most of the population is used to the "pop & mom" stores around the corner of their house for their daily necessities. Of course this also happens to be a hot political issue with some parties arguing the case against allowing FDI in retail sector because of their fear about its consequences on the survival of about 8 million trading units spread across the country which form a sizable vote bank. Those vigorously pushing the case of the foreign retailers are accused of unabashed crony capitalism under the pressure of the "Big Daddy" the American government which is eyeing the vast Indian market with great hope. Emergence of on-line business as a formidable competitor to large super markets and malls for supplying many items of daily needs is raising the inevitable question whether these attractive, glittering, air-conditioned and one stop buying centers will be able to sustain themselves for long. Here is an interesting critique on this perplexing issue.

"There are very few retailers that have that kind of lifespan. There aren't too many that have been around for a hundred [years]. But even if they still exist they may be quite different. For example, you see now retailers trying very much to integrate their physical store with their Internet store. So maybe the physical store becomes mostly a showroom — you don't actually go there to buy things and walk out with them. You go there to look at things and then you order them online and then they're delivered to your house. Or maybe you order them online and you go to the store to pick them up, but the store may not be filled with quite so much merchandise. There are quite a few possibilities and I think it's really foolhardy to guess what this is going to look like frankly in 10 years, much less 50."

Take the case of India where urban land is very expensive and hard to get for setting up such huge business complexes. Will the masses patronize such places when transporting infrastructure is so primitive it may take any where from 2-3 hours to make a shopping expedition to these shopping enters? Even the affluent population with their chauffeur driven vehicles will hesitate before making a trip to these places where parking facilities are grossly inadequate. Here comes the role of on-line marketeers who can book orders from families and deliver them to their house. It is amazing that an internet company like Amazon.com has thousands of consumer items to offer and buyers get their requirements within a matter of 24-48 hours! In Bangalore an on-line company like "Big Basket" supplies fresh fruits and vegetables of high quality within Bangalore area in a matter of few hours without any risk of spoilage. Probably the surmise in the above report that in a few years time people will venture out only to physically see for themselves their choice and it will be the on-line companies who will deliver the goods ordered, a win-win situation for both the seller and the buyer!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

DIETS "MADE TO ORDER" AND DELIVER TOO!-AN EMERGING TRENS

Food delivery service is an off shoot of the special needs of modern society when cooking time in kitchen is drastically shrinking due to demand for time for other daily activities. Restaurants and eateries have come to be established as an essential part of to day's living style precisely for this reason. But increasing transportation bottlenecks and long distances between offices, factories and home settlements are creating the need for a service that can ensure delivery of prepared foods in a "ready to eat" format, at the door steps of consumers. Specialized restaurants are already offering such services in many metropolitan areas in many countries building up substantial clientele, expanding their business in the process. But a new trend seems to be emerging in this service sector with some trailblazers opening up new avenue for food business. Though they are few in number, theses service providers offer nutritionally balanced and special meals that help customers to "manage" their body weight or meet customized nutritional needs.

"In a telephone interview, Dr. Sears said he wasn't familiar with Zone Manhattan, but when he looked at the company's Web site, he said, "If they're making good Zone meals, and I applaud them if they are, then they're solving the compliance problem." (Dr. Sears's own Web site sells Zone products, but not the kind of prepared meals that I was looking for, and he admitted that cooking meals at home in the 40:30:30 ratio can be daunting.) The Zone ratio, he said, maintains a hormone balance and keeps you from feeling hungry. Zone Manhattan was my hands-down favorite. I called its owner, Steven Lindner, whose company is near the Fulton Fish Market in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. He said he is at the market most days by 6 a.m. By 7 a.m., he said, the company's kitchen is preparing food that will go out on delivery trucks that night. He also said that, like restaurants delivering take-out food, he doesn't have to list ingredients on the packages, something that could change if he expands to other states. Both Nu-Kitchen and eDiets, which operate nationally, listed every ingredient. Chefs Diet did not".

The above trend, though just emerging in some areas in the US, is likely to be followed in many megalopolis areas in other countries too in the near future. Whether they will remain popular is an issue that will be decided in the coming years. How much influence the local food regulations will have on the development is also unpredictable. That such a service, backed up by experienced dietitians, health experts and nutritionists, has a relevance in the coming years is indisputable.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com