A couple of decades ago our daily commodity needs and groceries were fulfilled by the local mom-n-pop retailers, who we know as “bhaiyas, chachas or chotus”. But in the past decade, half of this scenario changed drastically and the local retailers are confined to fulfilling our sundry and emergency needs only. In the good old days everything from a pin to even luxury commodities were sold to us by local retailers, and now these same old retailers are looked upon only as gap fillers.
The Changing Times
The advent of shopping malls, super markets and online shopping has dented the business of our very own local shopkeepers and the consumers have drifted away from them. This drift wasn’t there because of bad service or feuds; it was just because of the changing shopping trends of the customers like us. The introduction of discount schemes, offers and the convenience of online shopping portals have made local retailers less attractive. Basically, online shopping has proven to be a game-changer who also changed the rules of this game!
In all this disruption by modern shopping mediums, the only good thing that the local retailers hold onto their side is that their businesses have a known face and the bonding with the consumers is tremendous and in real-time. The modern shopping avenues like shopping malls and online shopping portals can never give a recognizable face that the consumers can relate with.
In the times to come, the modern shopping mediums will be more combative with their offers and schemes to attract consumers and this will further add to the woes and problems of the local retailers, depleting their business further. Not that the local retailers do not want to be competitive, but the entry barrier and the wherewithal required is not feasible and affordable owing to the technological landscape and investment requirements.
How Infiniteworx Work?
In times like these, Pune-based company infiniteworx omnichannel is introducing India’s first “microlocal e-Commerce Platform Services” to empower and capacitate the local retailers. The company’s unique mission is to orchestrate socioeconomic upliftment of India’s informal and unorganized sectors through technological innovations.
“The way consumer experiences are delivered is changing fast. In good old days the local shops did not have to do anything additional to get consumer footfalls in their shops. Shopping Malls, and online shopping portals have changed that trend. Now, instead of the consumers visiting the shops, the shops are following them with variety, discounts and convenience. Depleting consumers, reduced business and increased costs are causing many age-old retailers to diversify or shut down”, CMD of infiniteworx, Anil Pagar, informed the media at the Press Conference.
“Infiniteworx will be equipping the retailers across the country with POS Devices, Delivery Capability, Supply Chain, Logistics Support and Technical empowerment, which will capacitate all the retailers to compete on fair terms with the shopping malls, super markets and online portals“, informed Bijoy Banerjee, CEO of Infiniteworx.
“We have taken a small step towards empowering the local retailers in this competitive world; in the era of e-Commerce we are re-establishing the ties and bonds between the retailers and the consumers. We are driven to empower the informal unorganized sector to streamline it and make it competitive, contributing in the overall growth of the nation”, says Anil.
