| I tend to think this is a new development (unlike Malls,
| which, we are assured from the people who modelled the first
| ones in India, are just variants on traditional bazaar) --
| so starting a new thread.
Foreign multi-brand retailers beat the law
Shoprite, the South African retail store chain, has a franchise
agreement with Nirmal Lifestyle, an Indian mall developer, to run its stores
Saumya Roy and Archana Rai
Mumbai / Bangalore: Anand Doraiswamy, a 28-year-old manager at Nivea
India, is a regular shopper at the Shoprite store in one of Mumbai’s
suburbs.
“I definitely prefer it to the other stores close to my place. It has a
nice international feel. The ambience is very good, very different from
other stores. Because of their international way of stocking the store,
I can find whatever I want easily,” he said.
Doraiswamy refuses to believe that Shoprite, the South African retail
store chain, doesn’t own the store he shops in because of Indian laws
that bar large overseas retail firms from selling directly to consumers.
A Shoprite executive, J. Jhaveri, said company policy did not allow him
to speak to the media. Analysts who do not wish to be named said the
South African chain has a franchise agreement with Nirmal Lifestyle, an
Indian mall developer, to run its stores, allowing it to use its name
and technical expertise without owning equity in the company.
cont'd....
http://www.livemint.com/2007/09/05001551/Foreign-multibrand-retailers.html