Retailing is a course I teach at the doctoral level. These observations are born out of a recent visit to Thailand. Malls, in particular.
There is this matter of creating an aesthetic display of whatever you sell. It's called Visual Merchandising in retail lingo, but it's simply the feeling that a customer gets by looking at what you have. We are miles behind Thailand in this aspect. In cleanliness too, though we are improving.
Abundance of brands and choices. For any category, there are lots of options, and stores. This gives a customer satisfaction that he has chosen well, whatever he chooses. In my view, the real thing beats the online thing for sheer visual experience and touch and feel, and ability to try out things instantly.
Attractive add-ons, like eateries, coffee shops and an offer to cook for you inside the store (it was a large grocery store in a mall) are some more value-adds you can think of.
Many categories are completely missing in India. Juices of different kinds, or yogurts of different flavours (I liked the coconut flavoured one).
On a different note, the same food is available on the street as in many high-end restaurants- Thai food, I mean. Indian food is expensive, and so is American food-relatively.
There is this matter of creating an aesthetic display of whatever you sell. It's called Visual Merchandising in retail lingo, but it's simply the feeling that a customer gets by looking at what you have. We are miles behind Thailand in this aspect. In cleanliness too, though we are improving.
Abundance of brands and choices. For any category, there are lots of options, and stores. This gives a customer satisfaction that he has chosen well, whatever he chooses. In my view, the real thing beats the online thing for sheer visual experience and touch and feel, and ability to try out things instantly.
Attractive add-ons, like eateries, coffee shops and an offer to cook for you inside the store (it was a large grocery store in a mall) are some more value-adds you can think of.
Many categories are completely missing in India. Juices of different kinds, or yogurts of different flavours (I liked the coconut flavoured one).
On a different note, the same food is available on the street as in many high-end restaurants- Thai food, I mean. Indian food is expensive, and so is American food-relatively.
