It was perfectly acceptable to see names like Bharat Departmental stores or even Bharat Mall even for stores which were only 400 – 500 square foot on average and be crammed with products with the shop owner serving the customers from across the counter. However, this was ironical because Bharat Departmental stores would neither be large, nor presented in well defined departments and most definitely not lifestyle led as the name would lead one to believe.
It is no wonder that this small temporary stall decided that a pun on the world’s largest retailer was a perfectly acceptable thing to do.
This was mainly because of the shopper frequenting a store mainly because of their personal relationship and trust. As such the name of the store actually made no difference to the shopper and it ended up being a reflection of the shop owner’s aspiration.
Fast forward to 2015 and the shoppers are changing. This change in shopper’s orientation was driven home when I saw an advertisement for a regional retailer who has largely been known for apparel till now, announcing the launch of a 'Hyper" store.
CLICK here to read my ET Retail article about these changes in shopper expectation and behavior which has led to format definitions to become important and accurate.
