By Prof. Dwarika Prasad Uniyal, Assistant Dean, IIM Kashipur-Dehradun Campus (With inputs from VJ Media Bureau).
What happened?
It’s been close to three months since PM Modi struck on the Black Money and announced the revolutionary De-Monetisation of the High Denomination Indian currency. With that, the legal tender character of the existing bank notes in denominations of 500 and 1000 issued by the Reserve bank of India till November 8, 2016 stands withdrawn. In consequence thereof these Bank Notes cannot be used for transacting business and/or store of value for future usage. Many revisions of the original order has come and every single day we do see some changes in the policy towards the same.
Cashless or Less Cash Economy: Behavioural Change
We see that the move is likely to have a habit changing impact on the Indian populous and there could be increased belief of keeping cash in the banks rather than stashed at home and use formal banking channels for their spending needs. With a large part of the cash moving through the banking channels, the banking sector is likely to be flush with funds in the near term and this would help them reduce cost of funds for such period. Also with more money being kept in the banking channel, some of these low cost deposits may be sticky and improve the medium to long term Current Account and Savings Account (CASA) ratio of the banks.
Problem or Opportunity for the Retailers?
With new Fintech Apps like Paytm, Mobiquick, UPI, retailers have been quick to embrace this change towards less-cash, more digital payments system. The diffusion at the local street vendor level has been a revelation. As mobile penetration increases and with affordable 3G/4G plans, this mode will slowly overtake even the POS machine payment mechanism.
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Retail As A Connected Economy
The current pandemic has created strategic opportunities in the true sense, and brands and retailers can make the most of this opportunity by positioning themselves as a connected economy, says Jalpa Patel – Lead Interior Architect and Sr.Visual Merchandiser, ZenGenius Inc, while drawing on interesting examples from the US.
‘TRUST IS BUILT THROUGH THE BRAND COMMUNICATION'
There was one positive fallout of the sudden shift in consumer buying behavior post Covid. And that was the marked rise in demand for immunity building and hygiene products of good quality. As per a Nielsen report, the hand wash segment expanded 60% in March 2020 compared to 7% in the preceding three months. As a result, more innovative products and newer brands are entering the personal hygiene space. FMCG major Emami Limited, after making a successful foray into the hygiene space with BoroPlus Advanced Anti-Germ Hand Sanitizer in April 2020, recently expanded its BoroPlus Hygiene Range. In a special conversation with Point of Purchase, Priti A Sureka, Director, Emami Limited, shares more details about this expansion, the biggest challenge for the FMCG industry today, key tips for retailers to navigate the crisis, and more.
‘THERE IS INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF BUSINESS BENEFITS FROM DIGITAL SIGNAGE'
Brands today are increasingly taking the technological route to communicate with their end users, making the shopping experience more experiential while also fulfilling the basic consumer needs today for safe, contactless shopping and a reassuring retail environment. This makes it inevitable for a tech-enabled ecosystem, with a network of centrally controlled digital display solutions, coming into play. Brand across segments, including the automotive industry,are hopping on to the digital bandwagon and this has led to the entry of more and more digital signage solutions led by established tech players. For example, Panasonic India’s SignEdge Display Network presents itself as an end-to-end solution leading to seamless communication for the automotive industry at their point of sale. Recently, Panasonic India installed a digital signage solution for MG Motor India to drive communications to its customers across dealerships through multiscreen video walls, standalone displays etc. Vijay Wadhawan, Group Chief, System Solutions Division, Panasonic India, shares with Point Of purchase the whole journey.
‘IMPORTANT TO BE OPERATIONALLY NIMBLE'
Digital is the go-to shopping mode today for an increasing number of people, even in categories like fruits and vegetables. And along with the growing dependence on digital is the growing need for farm fresh products. Established in 2016 as a store offering premium quality of farm-fresh vegetables and fruits in the upmarket neighborhood of Powai, Mumbai, ‘Fraazo’ reinvented itself by adopting a digital-first approach and launched the ‘Fraazo App’ in October 2019. Started by the quartet Atul Kumar, Aashish Krishnatre, Vikas Dosala and Sumit Rai, Fraazo is a retail brand under VnF Ideas Private Limited, Mumbai’s leading B2B player in perishables category providing farm-fresh vegetables and fruits. The brand joined VnF family in 2019 and has since then been servicing over 2 lakh households in Mumbai and Pune and 60 plus societies through its innovative value chain module. Atul Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, Fraazo shares with Point Of Purchase more on the Fraazo journey.
HOW KITKAT CRAFTED A ‘CHOCOLATORY' STORY
The FMCG category has always been a dynamic one, whether in terms of product range, consumer behaviour or of supply chain and distribution.
A SEAMLESS OMNICHANNEL PLATFORM FOR STARTUPS
As a consumer moves from a print ad to a social media platform, or from a chatbot to a web page or a brickand-mortar store, brands are moving away from onesize-fits-all approach. They are in fact taking every step possible to deliver a consistent message and seamless experience across all touchpoints. With an aim to help businesses develop a perfect strategy in the ever-changing world of retailing, SOCH Group, which also has the food startup brand Munchilicious, has announced the launch of This or That, which they call the ‘World’s first Omni-channel Retail Platform exclusively for start-up brands’. Rohit Mohan Pugalia, Founder Director, This or That (A SOCH Group Initiative), in an exclusive chat with Point of Purchase, highlights how the platform help brands build stronger business presence on multiple platforms, on some upcoming retail trends and more.
Wooing The Post-Covid Shopper: What's The Game Plan?
Let’s face it, the days of retail therapy when shoppers simply browsed around the store space, indulging their senses and adding products to their basket, maybe over or at least may have been put on pause till the specter of the virus is eliminated from our horizon. COVID -19 virus has ensured that shoppers today are more cautious, anxious, hurried - wanting to spend less time at the store, essentials driven, and prudent in their spending. So what does all this mean for brands and retailers? How can they win their shoppers back to a more relaxed, reassured, and happy state and get the economy going with greater spending? What role does shopper marketing, in-store communication, and technology play here? Let’s take a look.
‘SILOED LEGACY SYSTEMS NO LONGER WORK'
If the increased role of technology had already become inevitable in retail in the last few years, Covid-19 has only intensified further the need for technology integration into retail operation and experience. This has seen the entry of many technology players into the retail eco-system. Retail technology company Ace Turtle has a platform that can integrate with multiple retail systems, provide single and uniform data and inventory across channels, and manage the entire retail process, from product discovery to purchase and fulfillment. Berry Singh, COO, Ace Turtle, in interaction with Point of Purchase, talks about how such technology solutions can help retailers ensure seamless backend and front-end functioning, and reiterates the importance of integrating digital with all aspects of retail operations.
‘BRANDS HAVE TO SHOW THEIR HUMAN SIDE & RETAIL SOLUTION FIRMS HAVE TO WORK WITH TECH COS'
Renowned retail expert, Dr. Dwarika Prasad Uniyal, who is also Professor & DEAN - FLAME University, and the bestselling author of ‘Managing Retailing’, shares with Point Of Purchase, his insights on consumer behavior trends post Covid-19 and what brands and retail solution providers can do to address the new challenges and win back consumer confidence. Presented below are excerpts from the interview.
NILKAMAL STEPS UP WITH COVID-19 RELATED PRODUCTS
The COVID-19 crisis has seen many manufacturers in the retail fixtures, materials, display, merchandising, and other retail solutions segments rising to the occasion by getting into the manufacture of medical gears, beds, and face shields, all critical needs today. Established industry player Nilkamal for example has rolled out a wide range of exclusive products like Quick COVID Beds, TravelGUARD & VirusGUARD, taking the battle against COVID-19 to a new level. The company has successfully supplied over 15000 hospital beds to emergency centers which were set up in a record time of 2 weeks. Mihir Parekh, Executive Director at Nilkamal Limited – BubbleGUARD, in an exclusive chat with Point of Purchase, shares more details about these innovative solutions.
