A piece in today's Wall Street Journal looks at Indian consumers' expectations when it comes to shopping. Kishore Biyani, an Indian grocery mogul, found that American-style supermarkets with neatly-stocked shelves and wide aisles held little appeal to his country's shoppers. It seems that Indian consumers want cramped, noisy aisles reminiscent of the traditional markets that they've long used. In his Mumbai location, Biyani spent $50,000 to make the aisles more crooked and chaotic.
This could bode well for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), which just announced a move into India. Wal-Mart is often criticized stateside for not providing a nice enough shopping experience -- stores are understaffed, messy, crowded, ugly, and just not very enjoyable.
But it sounds like Indian shoppers might like that just fine. If Wal-Mart can recreate the chaotic market atmosphere that is popular there and combine it with their own ruthless efficiency, it could could finally find the overseas success it's desperately seeking.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-08-2007 @ 6:36PM
J. Boyle said...
Today, the writer on Wal-Mart said the stores are understaffed, messy and ugly. What planet is he on.
As a 35 year Wal-Mart stockholder I've been in at least 1,000 Wal-Mart Supercenters, a couple of hundred Wal-Mart Discount Stores and 50 Wal-Mart Neighborhood Stores (I bet he doesn't know the last exists) and found them all to be well staffed, cleaner than any segment of Krogers or Saftway and attractive.
Who is this Bissonnette?
8-09-2007 @ 1:47AM
Lee Lucero said...
I find it amusing that the writer(s) of comments concerning Wal-Mart exhibit the same visceral hatred for this great champion of the poor as do the liberals who hate President Bush. In spite of the disdain shown for Wal-Mart, which has done more than any other entity to contain inflation in this country, this great company continues to perform admirably.
8-09-2007 @ 5:09PM
Cindy said...
This Bissonnette person obviously has never had to use the motorized wheelchairs Wal Mart is SUPPOSED to provide its disabled shoppers or he would know what its like to try & get thru one of the clothes departments without getting slapped in the face by clothes or knocking racks over or getting the chair caught on one because they are so close together. The Wal Mart I use near me got WORSE after turning into a super center. Now, IF I can find a wheelchair & IF It works, I avoid the clothes area altogether. I used to love shopping for clothes there but not anymore! Ever since Sam Walton died, the store has gone downhill & now that Mrs Walton has passed on, who knows what will happen to them! I have found this to be the same in any one the stores around Central Florida whether they are a super center or not. WHAT HAPPENED!!!!!?????
8-08-2007 @ 6:49PM
pjw said...
Bissonette is way off the mark.
Indeed what planet is he on??
8-09-2007 @ 11:02PM
lasermanm said...
Cindy, How many other retailers are "SUPPOSED to provide motorized wheelchairs to its disabled shoppers" Everyone is quick to critize Wal-Mart on it's negative side, but where is the balance. You must shop there for some reason. What good does Wal-Mart provide for you? I'm tired of hearing how understaffed Wal-Mart is (every wait in line anywhere else). I shop Wal-Mart and constantly hear complaints about long lines when ther eis only 2 or 3 people in a line. 15-20 minutes to check out a full cart of items is not a long wait.
8-09-2007 @ 5:33PM
Cindy said...
Dear lasermanm,
I DO shop @ other stores & do run into the same problem w/the wheelchairs there sometimes also. They don't have as many of them as Wal-Mart does though. Wal-Mart is the closest store to me right now is why I go there the most!!! I've loved going to Wal-Mart since they opened here, but they are just getting worse instead of better. What do you benefit from Wal-mart?