All lost some, some lost all. Everybody evolved (Hopefully). Change in the air now, with new strategies being adopted by retailers to enable them to better manage the dynamics of this business. But can this misery-inspired ingenuity help organised indian retail produce the numbers that have eluded it so far
The changing contours of the Indian retail industry during and post the slowdown draw interesting parallels with the entire build up to the Commonwealth Games, 2010. Of course, this is ignoring the fact that we are talking about an industry here and not an event. But the fact is that the retail sector has also had its fair share of heartbreaks, controversies, working capital and cash flow problems; and obviously lessons galore. And just like all the ‘misses’ and ‘mis-hits’ at the Commonwealth Games will continue to torment India as a nation for some time to come, the retail sector also continues to face the scars of the slowdown even after we have seen six odd months of revival now.
Rising rentals, store rationalization, working capital management and cost optimisation (rather minimization) are top of mind issues for players of the industry that contributes 12% of India’s GDP. And in the process of coping with such issues post-slowdown, we are evincing a gradual shift from core-focus areas and erstwhile core competencies. And this portends the emergence of a new picture on the Indian retail landscape.
For instance, till the first quarter of FY 2010-11, Spencer from the stable of RPG had shut down 100 stores, which even meant moving away from cities like Delhi, which were unprofitable. Rationalisation of capital expenditure by focusing on core geographic areas that offered low rent premises started becoming – and will continue to be – the short-term focus of Spencer. In conjunction, almost all retailers are frequently changing their strategies to keep their show on – some flailing around attempting to pin the donkey blindfolded, some strategically. But will the mixture of these strategies help organised retail become the next boom industry, which it was slated to be for so long? To that effect, B&E met up with CEOs and leaders within India’s retail industry and in this cover story, provides a quick commentary on the current state of retail affairs. Store rationalisation through adequate working capital management and cost optimisation has been a hitherto hidden penchant, which departmental stores like Spencers, Shoppers Stop (from the Rahejas), Westside and several of their ilk have developed. And to optimize costs, a lesson learned during slowdown is to reduce inventory costs by liquidating slow moving goods (through discounts, et al). According to the KPMG report, ‘Indian Retail: Time to Change Lanes,’ slowing sales were resulting in lower inventory turnovers and increasing working capital requirements. The report also shows that till 2009, sales grew by mere 8% (34% in 2007) and this prevailed till July 2010. This tantamount to the fact that the organized retail penetration, which is currently at 5%, may be able to reach only around 10.4% by 2012 (against the earlier expectation of 16%).
So what happened to those figures thrown up to media by industry bodies; claiming a sunny road ahead for Indian retail? In 2008, CII claimed that till 2013, retail will attract an astonishing $25 billion investment but in reality, we haven’t seen even 50% of that. This was also echoed in the findings of McKinsey, which claimed that the Indian retail industry will grow at 25% till 2013.
In fact, sector analysts claim that the Indian retail market is still facing a slowdown. But the positive side is that it has taught players not to take the route to perdition like Subhiksha & Vishal MegaMart. “In the current context, perhaps the key lesson learned during the slowdown is to never invest too much; rather one should focus more on store rationalisation,” says Sanjay Gupta – VP-General Merchandise, Spencer’s Retail Ltd. So it is quiet logical that the group is not over investing in non-profitable areas like Delhi and Rajasthan and is consolidating its operations in virgin Tier III cities (where no retailers have entered) and core geographic areas like southern India. Players like Subhiksha, Vishal Mega-Mart & Planet Retail miserably failed to handle the liquidity crunch created by the economic meltdown due to over-investment and poor conversion ratio of investments to revenues. On the other hand, the big boys like Spencers are somehow not only learning, but also in some cases mastering the issue of liquidity crunch.
Govind Shrikhande – Customer Care Associate & MD of Shoppers Stop Ltd. admits, “During the slowdown, we have seen the increasing working capital requirements fuel growth, which resulted in liquidity pressures for many retailers and the need of the hour is working capital management.” To manage working capital, the group is managing its rental expenses by opening stores on a revenue sharing basis with mall owners and is managing store operating costs by cutting down 30% of its electricity costs through installing recyclable electronic and air-conditioning systems. Ventures like Arcilia from the group, which have not been generating footfalls, have been shut down. The result was the company, which reported a loss of `650 million in 2008-09, bounced back to record a profit of `192.1 million in the third quarter of 2009-10. Post-slowdown, retailers across the world are shutting down stores that are not generating major footfalls, rather than playing the waiting game. Changing market trends demand that the retail industry expand its reach to more customer touch points to drive them to stores in new areas. For instance, French hypermarket brand Carrefour has shut down 10 stores till July this year in its home market to reduce its reliance on sluggish footfalls. The group is now rolling out stores in new emerging consumer markets such as China and Brazil. This lesson has also been learned by luxury retailers. In the Indian market, you will see that luxury retailers like LVMH, Prada and Hugo Boss are now opening smaller stores rather than large ones. Tag Heuer (from the stable of LVMH) has recently shut shop from one of India’s two luxury malls – DLF Emporio – and is keeping its new stores comparatively smaller in size. “Emporio was not getting the required footfalls. During the slowdown, we have observed that gigantic stores work in China to impress customers; but in India, I think people are not really hooked with the size of your store,” feels Manishi Sanwal, GM – Indian Sub-continent of LVMH – Watch & Jewellery.
or all of these features and generally score highest in international comparisons of achievement. Another advantage in East Asia is that there exists a supportive environment at home along with stimulating parental practices.
An HR professional today develops an overall understanding of the industry and is prepared to take up any role. An MBA in HR or doing PGDM (HR) from any reputed institute will not only give you ample exposure to the industry but will also help in finding the appropriate platform to start your career. It is good that you are good with people but learning to manage them is something you need to do.
