“Small is Beautiful and Big is Advantageous”, this quote seems to be quite true in case of Small Retailers worldwide who are trying to fight the onslaught from Big Chains and
maintain their position in the market. Though Big Chains have a lot of advantages in their kitty, the small players have an edge over them in lot of areas.
Small retailers worldwide have experienced a lot of turmoil with the emergence of Big Retail Chains in their vicinity. Some retailers were forced to close down their shops while some are still struggling to make a living. In an ICRIER survey conducted in India on 1600 small retailers, a whopping 50% reported lower sales and 61% of all retailers pointed to competition from organized retail for their declining financial health.[1] In countries like Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia, there is zoning system which demarcates space for foreign chains to open their outlets and do business.
But, the small retailers have learnt to focus on customer/product niches and services where they can add value that large retail chains cannot. The White Paper throws light on the strengths and weaknesses of Smaller Players as compared to the Big Organized chains, the strategies adopted by Small Players and their Road ahead.
