Retailers seek industry status

April 24, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:36 am IST - COIMBATORE:

Some States have evinced interest in coming out with retail policy and have taken inputs in this regard from the retailers, according to Kumar Rajagopalan, chief executive officer of Retailers’ Association of India (RAI).

Mr. Rajagopalan told presspersons here on Thursday that Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are some of the States that have evinced interest in having a retail policy.

The association has also been seeking industry status for the retail sector so that retailers get single window clearance, a nodal ministry, etc.

The association, which has 1,000 members, took up a study six months ago in the south and found that 75 per cent of the retailers covered in the study had gone in for e-commerce, tied up with online portals or had plans for online presence.

E-commerce is additional business to any retailer and it is a necessity as the younger generation prefer to purchase goods online, added T. Shanthakumar, Managing Director of Kirtilal Kalidas Jewellers.

Mr. Rajagopalan told The Hindu that the association has tied up with Indira Gandhi National Open University to offer three-year programme and plans to have such tie-ups with more institutes.

The association also works with Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts. Retailers can work with the handicraft sector and tap opportunities in the domestic market for handicrafts.

Several retailers have manufacturing facilities too and others also need to work with manufacturers to source products. They are looking at new products, reducing wastages in the supply chain, etc., he said.

Speaking at the “Coimbatore Retail Summit – 2015” organised here on Thursday by RAI, Santhosh Babu, Chairman and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation, said that it has 14 stores and seven production centres.

Poompuhar, the retail outlet of the corporation, also sources products from States such as Odisha, West Bengal and Rajasthan.

Online sale

It has launched online sale and a mobile application. It targeted Rs. 10 lakh sales through online and mobile app during the last three months and registered more than 50 per cent of the target.

It is also active on social media and is present on eight social media platforms. The Corporation plans to set up a design centre and research development centre so that it can constantly provide new designs to the artisans and have innovative products.

“We need fresh designs to cater to the youth. We are also thinking of producing small goods that can be purchased for gifting purposes,” he said.

The Hindu was the media partner for the event.

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