Of retail & start-ups
Posted by: pantomimosa on: December 27, 2008
I was reading a story on Economic Times today about the Indian retail market growing at over 15 per cent while our counterparts in the US and UK have seen almost 50 per cent drop in sales in the holiday season. It was interesting how the Future group has handled the economic slump and tactfully launched its great shopping festival — bigger than ever! It does not last for three days anymore but a good 13! And the Future Group is estimating sales worth Rs 700-crore in the last two weeks — which would amount to 10 per cent of the company’s annual revenues.
In other news, was looking through the Hottest Start-ups to have been nominated for the Tata Nen Hottest Start-ups Awards.
A few interesting (retail-based) entries (out of 30):
1) Sacred Moments: Simple idea- they package gifts under two brands Bhakti and Blessingz for supply to corporates, personal and even retail outlets and have these packages: Diwali, Ganpati, Holi, Satyanarayan, Durga Pooja, General Pooja, Griha Pravesh, Vahan and Muslim Kit. Smooth application to something so generic and simple and Indian. Though in Mumbai at present, the entrepreneur, an alumnus of Symbiosis (SCMHRD) will sure take it to shores.
Turnover: Rs 50 lakh- Rs 1 crore +
Profit: Rs 20 lakh +
2) The Loot: Big brands. Cheap rates. Sale all round the year. Sounds sweet to me. I can only check when I see the quality on the racks and the stock. I wonder how can they get stuff that cheap.
Turnover: Rs 30 crore +
Profit: Rs 1 crore +
3) Evam Entertainment: Being a little biased, I would love to join them. And in their words: Evam is a ‘theatre entrepreneurship’ with one mission – use theatre to make people’s life happier! And these guys are from MICA! 
Turnover: Rs 51 crore +
Profit: Rs 15 lakh +
Shop from phone!
Posted by: pantomimosa on: December 4, 2008
- In: Marketing| Retail
- 9 Comments
In the mood for shopping but can’t wait to locate a store, do it from your phone! And with exclusive brands like Ralph Lauren supporting mobile shopping, it is sure to go big soon! Ralph Lauren has launched its mobile site where shoppers can browse through designer goodies and buy them off too! All they need is to download a free software, called the QR Reader, which is nothing but a bar code we see on all branded and registered merchandise. What’s cooler, is if you like a particular item advertised in a print campaign, all you have to do is check out the QR code on it and feed it on the RL site!
Though the collections on offer for mobile shopping is limited, and the ladies would never buy it till they have tried them on a couple of times (:)), one can easily buy off designer bags and even shoes! This is the ultimate retail therapy one could wish for! Now, all we have to do is to wait for it to hit the Indian market.
If this technology visits our country soon, some brands I would really really want on this p
latform would be:
1) Ritu Kumar!! (Her Label line is an absolute killer and with sizesdisappearing super fast, I am sure we would love her clothes on a mobile shopping network!)
2)UCB- Its simple, clean, stylish and classy! A UCB can never go out of style. Waiting for the bumper sale every year, a mobile appearence would only make the United Colours a bigger youth brand!
3)Levi’s-This brand never fails to amaze me! Be it the high-on-attitude ad campaigns or posters-they absolutely rock! And they sell superfast, especially during sale season.
4)Marie Claire- I wish there was an outlet totally dedicated to MC. The shoes (and boots) are so amazing! The sad thing is the distribution is pretty weak, and even if there is demand, sad marketing and customer reach keep it from becoming a bigger name.
5)Shoppers Stop-For the sheer availability of labels under one roof! be it an Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Blackberry’s, Pepe, W, Provogue — it has it all!
What would add to the fun is if we could book items on mobile! Select colour, size and just book it! Man, shopping would be so much fun! Even while in transit, we could say, Hey! Guess what! I just bought off a new outfit for the weekend bash! 
While she burns
Posted by: pantomimosa on: November 29, 2008
- In: Events
- 4 Comments
For the past two days I have been reading copies on the War on Mumbai, editing stories about people who are missing, those killed, about families whose hopes have been shattered and those that are putting up a brave face and fighting on. For the past 40 hours, our Commandoes are battling hard to put an end to a war. A war uncalled for. A war just to spread fear: You could be next.
What are we learning from this? Or from the Blasts that shook Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Malegaon recently? Are we waiting for such instances to happen so that an Advani can refuse a visit the city with the PM to earn brownie points or a Modi can fly down to the victim city to hold a press conference and highlight the weaknesses of our present govenment, in point form, with examples if you may please.
These are our leaders, are still selfishly motivated. By announcing a crore of Rupees to the officers who laid their lives in the terror attacks, they only prove one thing: Human life can be evaluated in monetary terms. Only Gujarat has announced this package so far. Mumbai, too, will offer a better and attractive package to those who died. Maybe a flat or a car! They need to overpower their opponents.
It’s a shame. Even a terror attack, which may well unite us, make us call those who we may not like to check on their safety, or worry about friends who have not remained in touch and those we deliberately lost touch with. But when will our leaders learn? Being a journalist, I was happy to see the sensitivity among other news channels who ran stories of a TOI journalist who is missing. They covered it well, if not better than Times Now. But our leaders can’t still see beyond party colours.
Seeing Manmohan Singh and Lal Krishna Advani visit Mumbai together would have sent a message not only to Indians, but to the terroists and the world at large. We are united. We are together as a nation even if we go polling next weekend. But no. It’s too much to expect of a nation that is divided at the very base.
Leaders don’t mind seeing India burning. All they want is to lead India while it is burning. No one wants to douse the fire.
Re-start!
Posted by: pantomimosa on: November 27, 2008
After being in the blogosphere for long, I have ventured out with another blog. Many reasons. My old blog was home for a couple of years. But it became somehow gloomy. With things changing, it was time for a new address, a new beginning. Change is good, isn’t it.
Why Pantomimosa? I was out watching a play after ages, Hamlet: The Clown Prince. This Rajat Kapoor production was not only wonderfully scripted and enacted, for me it was a back-in-college moment. Watching plays! A pantomimos in Greece means a solo dancer who ‘imitated all’. This was often accompanied by a lot of music, especially the flute. Later, it was referred to performance itself. Now, I took the liberty of turning the word into Pantomimosa. Like it that way, makes it sound feminine. Pantomimos is male and Pantomimosa female, yeah in my imaginary world! Also, it rhymes with vingardium leviosa (Harry Potter).
So, that’s about me! Cheers to a new beginning! Yet another!
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