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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Grocery chain Asda is calling workers back to the office three days a week from January.</li><li>The British retailer says it will improve on-site catering and provide better bathrooms for staff.</li></ul>Stuart Rose, chair of grocery store Asda and a veteran of British retail, says the company will improve bathroom facilities and on-site food as it mandates a return to the office for corporate staff.Rose, who has also held leadership roles at major UK retailers Marks &amp; Spencer, Argos, and Topshop, said last week that from January, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://corporate.asda.com/20241105/a-message-from-stuart-and-rob-putting-ourselves-back-in-the-service-of-our-customers">all Asda corporate staff must be in the office three days a week.</a>After the announcement, Rose said in an interview with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/09/in-no-great-rush-to-get-back-to-the-office-uk-home-workers-may-not-have-a-choice">The Observer</a> that having too many staff based at home was "not a satisfactory way of working," particularly in a "fast-moving consumer goods industry.""It's not always as efficient with those teams working together in terms of online, in terms of Zoom calls," he told the outlet.Asda said it will "improve the working environment" in its offices as part of the RTO push.That includes "a better catering offer, an on-site Asda Express, a more welcoming atrium, more meeting spaces, quiet-space working pods, upgraded toilets, new chairs and redecoration."A spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that in November, the grocery chain cut 475 management roles and announced a major restructuring amid slowing sales.Rose has taken on a leading role in Asda's transformation after one of the grocery chain's owners, Mohsin Issa, stepped down from running day-to-day operations in September.In 2021, Issa, along with his brother Zuber and private equity firm TDR Capital, purchased a majority stake in Asda from its previous owner, Walmart.Asda said that its RTO policy, combined with the restructuring and job cuts, would bring the business "in line with our competitors and the wider market, allowing us to build high-performing teams with a collaborative culture and respond to what our business needs the most."Rose is not alone in wanting his employees back in the office. While many bosses are firm advocates for the potential productivity gains of in-person work, some <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rto-policies-dont-improve-employee-performance-company-value-controlling-bosses-2024-1">studies</a> have found that hybrid working does not affect productivity.As the pandemic years fade further into the past, more CEOs have been returning to policies similar to those that existed in most corporate environments pre-2020. In recent months, companies like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dell-staff-return-office-order-sparks-panic-parents-childcare-wfh-2024-10">Dell</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-return-to-office-mandate-5-days-week-2024-9?utm_source=Iterable&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=campaign_Insider%20Today,%20September%2017,%202024">Amazon</a> have announced that staff must be back in the office five days a week.Asda's chair told The Observer he thinks demand for hybrid work has swung too far in favor of workers."Hybrid working wasn't invented in the pandemic," Rose said. "It has to fit the business's needs."Experts say workers still have some say in the working culture debate. If RTO policies become too strict, top talent will simply leave to find a system that works for them, Ravin Jesuthasan, a respected future-of-work researcher, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ravin-jesuthasan-why-companies-enforce-rto-mandates-future-of-work-2024-8">previously told Business Insider.</a>If the labor market swings back around to favor workers, organizations will be under more pressure to meet their employees on their terms, the author "The Skills-Powered Organization" said.Nick Bloom, a Stanford economist and a leading expert on remote work, previously told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wfh-remote-work-findings-rto-nick-bloom-2024-10">BI he believed</a> working from home is "here to stay," citing big steps in technology such as video calls and virtual reality.In a presentation published in September, Bloom shared that surveys in 2021 had shown that, on average, employees regarded the right to work two or three days a week from home as valuable as an 8% pay rise, based on 17,087 responses.

Better catering and nicer bathrooms will help get workers back to the office, says this retail CEO

In 2023, there has been a sharp rise in low-performing shopping malls with approximately 13.3 million square feet of <keyword id="20144408" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-space" source="keywords">retail space</keyword> categorised as 'ghost shopping centre', a 59 per cent year-on-year surge. According to <keyword id="19895044" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Knight-Frank-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Knight Frank India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Knight Frank India">Knight Frank India</keyword>'s latest report, 'Think <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> Think Retail 2024: Shopping Centre and High Street Dynamics Across 29 Cities', there has been an increase of 238 per cent year-on-year in Ghost Shopping Centre in terms of leasable area since 2022 in the prime markets. As a result of the rise in 'ghost <keyword id="21560774" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shopping-centres" source="keywords">shopping centres</keyword>', Knight Frank India estimated that loss of value to be at Rs 67 billion or USD 798 million, in 2023. As per definition, ghost malls are shopping centres, typically having a high vacancy rate and low consumer footfalls. According to the report by the global property consultant, National Capital Region (NCR) accounted for the highest ghost shopping centre stock, measuring at 5.3 million sq ft (rise of 58 per cent year-on-year), followed by Mumbai with 2.1 million sq ft (rise of 86 per cent year-on-year) and Bengaluru with 2.0 million sq ft (rise of 46 per cent year-on-year). Hyderabad is the only city to record a decline in the ghost shopping centre stock by 19 per cent year-on-year to 0.9 million sq ft in 2023. The sharpest rise in ghost shopping centres was recorded in Kolkata (237 per cent year-on-year), though on a lower base. In tier 1 cities, the total number of shopping centres have reduced in a period of one year. Despite the addition of eight new retail centres, total number of shopping centres reduced to 263 in 2023 as 16 shopping centres were shut down over the last year. Underperforming shopping centres were either demolished due to reasons such as developers undertaking residential or commercial developments or were permanently closed or auctioned. The report delved into the retail real estate markets beyond the top-tier markets. This study covered 340 shopping centres and 58 high streets across 29 Indian cities, conducted through primary surveys. According to Knight Frank Research, as of 2023, India has a total shopping centre stock of 125.1 million sq ft. The top 8 Indian cities constitute 75 per cent of the total gross leasable area, at 94.3 million sq ft across 263 shopping centres while Tier 2 cities constitute 30.8 million sq ft. Of the top 8 cities, NCR (31.3 mn sq ft), Mumbai (16.3 mn sq ft) and Bengaluru (15.6 mn sq ft) were the top three cities in the pecking order of leasable area available in the shopping centres. In the report, Knight Frank has projected potential revenue of the shopping centres across 29 cities to reach USD 14 billion during 2024-25. The revenue projections for shopping centres is based on an extensive primary survey of 340 shopping centres, including the top 8 cities. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/indegene-ipo-company-details-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/109888922.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/indegene-ipo-company-details-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/109888922.cms" target="_blank">Indegene IPO: Company details to risk factors, all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/worldwide-tablet-shipments-grow-in-q1-2024-after-two-years-of-decline/articleshow/109876390.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/worldwide-tablet-shipments-grow-in-q1-2024-after-two-years-of-decline/articleshow/109876390.cms" target="_blank">Worldwide tablet shipments grow in Q1 2024 after two years of decline</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/asus-zenbook-duo-review/articleshow/109875023.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/asus-zenbook-duo-review/articleshow/109875023.cms" target="_blank">Asus ZenBook Duo review – an excellent dual-screen laptop for multitaskers</a>

Ghost shopping malls surged 59% in 2023, 16 retail centres shut across top cities

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Investment firms want to offer private-credit ETFs to ordinary investors, the WSJ reported. </li><li>It would give retail investors access to a $1.7 trillion market. </li></ul>A booming corner of the financial markets that has only been available to institutions might soon be open to everyday investors. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/wall-street-races-to-bring-private-credit-to-the-masses-8a25b624?mod=finance_lead_story">According to The Wall Street Journal,</a> some of the biggest private equity and investment management giants want to offer retail investors access to exchange-traded funds backed by private credit. The term broadly refers to loans made to companies and consumers by nonbank lenders. Historically, fund managers have sold "alternative assets" like private debt to institutional investors at a high cost, generating returns of around 10% in recent years — more than they would have seen from investing in the stock or bond markets.Now, as those institutions slow allocations to private credit, the biggest players in the space want to target a new class of investors. According to the Journal, firms like State Street, Apollo Global Management, and BlackRock are working to roll out private credit ETFs to regular investors. The challenge, though, is building a highly liquid ETF out of illiquid private loans. That hurdle is also what will likely draw the eye of regulators as they ensure the ETFs are appropriate for retail investors. But if these ETFs get approved, they will enable regular investors to tap into a booming market, one that BlackRock expects will more than double to $3.5 trillion by 2028. The race to launch private credit ETFs has heated up in recent months.In May, Capital Group and KKR teamed up to start offering funds investing in both public and private assets—including in private credit—starting next year.Last month, State Street proposed a private debt ETF to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The ETF would blend public debt with private debt on mortgage, corporate, and consumer loans purchased from Apollo Global Management. Anna Paglia, State Street's chief business officer, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://investors.statestreet.com/investor-news-events/press-releases/news-details/2024/State-Street-Global-Advisors-and-Apollo-Global-Management-Join-Forces-to-Increase-and-Broaden-Investor-Access-to-Private-Markets/default.aspx">said in a statement</a> the ETF would "democratize access to private asset exposures," and make them "more accessible to a wider swathe of investors.""It is our goal to bring these investments to scale and help facilitate the process of making private assets more accessible and liquid over time. We see this as only the beginning of a new wave of innovation as public and private markets increasingly converge," Paglia said. Alternative assets make up a small share—less than 3%—of individual investors' global investments, KKR's head of Global Client Solutions Eric Mogelof, told the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/wall-street-races-to-bring-private-credit-to-the-masses-8a25b624">Wall Street Journal</a>.But he says there is huge potential for that share to grow by over three times. "We anticipate these allocations to rise to 10% or greater in the future," he told the Journal.

Investing giants want to offer retail traders access to a booming sector of financial markets

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Drugstores have long been viewed as stable and prominent tenants in US shopping centers.</li><li>As major pharmacy chains announce store closures, thousands of storefronts are emptying out.</li></ul>America's retail pharmacy giants are undergoing an uncomfortable period of decline, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pharmacy-cvs-walgreens-problems-desert-7-eleven-convenience-store-2024-10">with their convenience in question.</a>For years, landlords viewed drugstores as stable tenants in shopping centers since shoppers relied on them for prescriptions.That made them attractive fits for prominent storefronts, including as an anchor tenant for small shopping centers, said Steven Teitelbaum, a professorial lecturer at American University's Kogod School of Business who previously practiced commercial real estate law at Jones Day.Known in the industry as a "junior box" — as opposed to a big box store, like Walmart or Target — these 20,000 square-foot formats were often purpose-built to support pharmacies' dual business of dispensing medication in the back and snacks in the front.Many are now expected to close — thousands over the next several years across CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2024/06/27/walgreens-boots-alliance-wba-q3-2024-earnings-call/">said</a> last summer that the retail pharmacy industry was "largely overbuilt for where the future was going to be."The pullback raises the question: What happens to the leftover spaces?Walgreens told BI the company works with community stakeholders to minimize the disruption to customers when a store is set to close."When we do close a store that has a lease term remaining, we explore several options, including buyouts, subleases, and renegotiating the rate. Maintaining the lease without occupancy is our option of last resort," the spokesperson said. "More often than not, we successfully find a new tenant which is beneficial to our business, consumers, and the community."In cases where leases of closing stores dictate that drugstores have to keep paying rent, some landlords may opt to leave the spaces empty, especially in downtowns and other dense urban environments, Teitelbaum told BI. In other cases, such as when a drugstore closes in a suburban shopping center, the loss of a drugstore can mean a drop in shoppers visiting the area, he added."They tend to have good locations on corners and as the anchor tenants in small shopping centers, so when they close, it's an obvious, in-your-face phenomenon," Teitelbaum said.That can impact other businesses in the shopping center, which often rely on anchor tenants like drugstores and supermarkets to draw people in, he added. The loss of foot traffic can have a negative ripple effect on the landlord, even if rent payments for the closed store continue.It's not always obvious what could slot into the leftover space — but companies see opportunities in the locations.Walgreens' CEO also said on the company's third-quarter earnings call that Walgreens locations are "widely acknowledged to be on the best corners in America.""We believe there's the opportunity to not simply carry the lease as a dark store," he said. "There's gold in them hills, as they say."US retail vacancy rates are at historic lows of around 4%, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.colliers.com/en/research/nrep-usret-us-retail-market-statistics-q3-2024">data</a> from property management giant Colliers, and asking rents are nudging higher as prospective tenants compete for space."When you have a junior box, that is like gold to a landlord," Anjee Solanki, Colliers' head of retail services, told BI.Solanki said she sees a broad range of post-pharmacy uses for the format, from sporting goods and furniture to apparel and beauty. Some landlords are subdividing larger units to offer space to a mix of smaller businesses."There's just so many amazing concepts out there," she said.Some of the real estate investment trusts, or REITs, that are landlords for the drugstore chains see other potential uses for the spaces."They're good spots for urgent cares," John Albright, CEO of Alpine Income Property Trust, a REIT that counts Walgreens as a tenant, said on an earnings call in July. Other possible tenants include fast-casual restaurants, dollar stores, and schools, Albright said.Teitelbaum told BI that no single type of tenant is likely to take up most of the empty storefronts. Many potential retail tenants, such as grocery stores, need more parking and other accommodations for their high foot traffic relative to pharmacies. Others, such as restaurants, would require kitchens and other expensive renovations."They have ranges of sizes and formats, and you can't just say, 'Well, we'll just convert them all to pickleball courts or urgent care,'" he said.A CVS spokesperson said 95% of the company's closing locations are leased, while 5% are owned."We make every effort to market available properties and find new tenants as soon as possible. In most instances, we sublease to other tenants to ensure the property is utilized and contributing to the community," the CVS spokesperson said.A Rite Aid spokesperson said that the company routinely evaluates its store network and is "committed to becoming financially and operationally healthy."Compared to many of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retail-apocalypse-last-decade-timeline-2019-12">store closings last decade</a>, many of the closures are occurring in a more orderly fashion and coming onto the property market at a pace that allows them to be absorbed in a reasonable period of time.In addition, Colliers' Solanki said the gauntlet of the pandemic has forged a stronger relationship between retailers and landlords to work together.Where a normal lease renewal conversation might have occurred within a year of the contract's expiration, those agreements are being reached with 24 to 30 months of lead time, giving the parties involved time to plan, she added.Solanki also said half of retail real estate deals tracked by Colliers last quarter were on the market for less than three months. It indicates that while retail pharmacies have been criticized for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-your-pharmacy-may-be-closing-walgreens-cvs-rite-aid-2024-6">failing to offer something new and exciting</a> for US shoppers, their future replacements are willing to bet they can use the locations to do just that."That 50% is a strong number," Solanki said.

The US is facing a drugstore graveyard as stores close. Filling the leftover spaces is the next challenge.

<keyword id="20104772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyundai-Motors" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hyundai Motors" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hyundai Motors">Hyundai Motors</keyword> India's IPO worth Rs 27,870 crore, the largest India has ever seen, got off to an unhurried start today, with 18% of the total offer subscribed on the first day. The IPO, which closes on October 17, has already attracted significant attention from retail and institutional investors. The issue was subscribed 0.27x in the retail category, 0.05x in the QIB (qualified institutional buyers) category and 0.13x in the NII (non institutional investors) category. <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">Retail investors</keyword> placed bids for 1.3 crore shares, as against the 4.94 crore shares which were offered to them. In contrast, Hyundai employees showed strong support for the IPO, bidding for 6,28,509 shares, as against the 7,78,400 shares allocated to them. Just a day before, Hyundai had raised Rs 8,315.3 crore from about 225 <keyword id="21330641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anchor-investors" source="keywords">anchor investors</keyword>. The list included several marquee global names, like the <keyword id="22882636" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government-of-Singapore" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Government of Singapore" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Government of Singapore">Government of Singapore</keyword>, New World Fund Inc, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. These institutions, along with Fidelity, Government Pension Fund Global, and American Funds Insurance Series New World Fund, invested a combined Rs 2,191.66 crore in the company. Other notable participants in the anchor round included Vanguard, Blackrock, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Hyundai Motor India allocated 4.2 crore equity shares to these anchor investors at Rs 1,960 per share. Also, 34.42% of the entire allocation to anchor investors went to 21 domestic mutual funds via 83 schemes. AMCs (asset management companies) like ICICI, Invesco, Kotak and UTI were part of this round. While the current IPO is entirely OFS (offer for sale), which means that no part of the proceeds will go to Hyundai Motor India, the company has announced that it plans to invest more than Rs 33,000 crore over the next 10 years in India. The country is an important market for the South Korean automobile giant, given that it is the 2nd largest OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in the passenger vehicle space in India. However, the market is already preparing for muted listing day gains, with the company's GMP dropping to Rs 59 today. Hyundai is estimated to list at Rs 2,019 per today's GMP, taking the expected gain/loss per share to a minuscule 3.01%, as per data from IPO site Chittorgarh.

India's biggest IPO off to a slow start, subscribed 0.18x on Day 1

<div type="image" title="For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire" height="900" width="1200" msid="114064202" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Once upon a time, there thrived a wild, wild land. Here, it was all about super high monetary stakes, lightning-fast trade deals, and bucketloads of money shifting hands every single second. This wilderness lured millions of individuals with the promise of super duper high returns. But, at what cost? Welcome to the unforgiving, ultra-risky wild west of <keyword id="19991165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-equity-markets" source="keywords">Indian equity markets</keyword> called the <keyword id="145718" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futures-and-Options" source="Orion">futures and options</keyword>. Here, everyone seems to just fly right through the bright red-flagged warnings of financial risks to earn even a fraction of these promised returns. Most burn themselves in the process, but carry on nevertheless, as if nothing ever happened. <h2>Chasing the cloudy profits</h2>The data conclusively proves that every 9 out of 10 individuals only lost their hard-earned money in this land. But hey, what do the numbers know? Some hide their losses out of shame, some out of fear. The proponents, meanwhile, proudly boast unusually high returns on their investments, some open social media channels while others encourage their friends and family to take the plunge. Naturally, news of this unstoppable and humongous en-masse migration to the F&amp;O (futures and options) town has reached sheriff <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, galvanising them into action. After all, it was time to put a leash on this madness and save the common man. The inhabitants of this town doubled in the last 2 years, from 51 lakh in FY22 to 96 lakh in FY24—99.8% of whom were small and mid-income traders. But profits? Well, that's a different, rather completely absent story. <h2>Que Sera Sera, much?</h2>A recent report by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) that studied profits and losses made by traders in the equity derivatives segment between FY22-24 exposed the mad mania of futures and options trading in India, especially since the pandemic. Per the report, 91.1% of individual traders, or about 73 lakh traders had only lost money trading in futures and options in FY24. Between FY 22-24, over 1 crore traders, or about 92.8% of individual traders, had lost Rs 2 lakh each. But once bitten, twice shy? Well, not in this case. More than 75% of individuals, who had only made losses trading in F&amp;O in FY22 and FY23, continued to trade vigorously in FY24 as well, without any changes in the bottom line, which remained deep in red and negative. So, then all these traders must be uber-rich, with tons of cash and not much care to spare? Nope. 76% of traders in the F&amp;O space in FY24 had an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh. 2 years ago, their share stood at 71%. And their choice of poison? Options! In FY24, 60% of traders made losses trading in futures, but a whopping 91.5% burnt their funds trading in options. Mind you, futures are riskier than options. With futures, which require significant capital investment, the buyer and seller both are contractually bound to adhere to the pre-determined strike price of the futures or options contract, irrespective of whether the prevailing prices are higher or lower (and thus, resulting in losses for either the buyer or seller). With options, since this adherence ain't necessary, individuals end up taking debt to take highly leveraged positions while trading here. <h2>Scale of the explosion</h2>Anyone who trades even infrequently will tell you that a demat account is the mitochondria or powerhouse of the trading cell. As of August 2024, India had over 17.1 crore <keyword id="20957284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat-accounts" source="keywords">demat accounts</keyword>, which are a prerequisite for trading in the markets. India is the 9th biggest country in the world, in terms of total demat accounts. Did you know that our demat accounts are at par with the entire population of Bangladesh? Talk about scale! Just 4 years ago, in March 2020, this number was a mere 4 crore. Naturally, the total F&amp;O turnover on both <keyword id="20004725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NSE">NSE</keyword> and BSE has hit the roof, and also broken it. As of October 4, 2024, the total futures and options turnover on NSE stood at a massive Rs 4,78,27,27,750.30 crore. Good luck counting the thousands! <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total Turnover (Both Futures and Options) (In Rs Crore) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2020-21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64,36,03,951.51 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2021-22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,69,52,33,134.47 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2022-23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3,82,23,26,468.06 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2023-24 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,99,27,67,152.43 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source : NSE Another metric that underlines the meteoric growth of trading in India is the collection of STT or <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword>. As of September 2024, India's STT mop-up had gone past Rs 26,000 crore. Traders have to pay STT whenever they buy or sell any security in the market. So, more trading brings in more STT, and hence, more revenue for the government, so they're not really complaining. After all, this is certainly what they'd call enviable growth. As of August 2023, our STT collection stood at about Rs 21,599 crores. And in FY20-21, India's STT collection had been Rs 16,000 crore. If only our salaries also managed to grow at this rate! <h2>So, what's happening?</h2>Two things. One, it's the big bulls who are raking in all the moolah. And it's the younger lot (those aged under 30) who are propping them up for this. In FY24, 43% of individual traders in the market were less than 30 years of age. In just one year, this number has swelled by 12 percentage points from just 31% of individual traders. But who says ageing is bad? Wrinkles and silver hair seemingly have a propensity of incurring lesser losses in the market. In FY24, only 79% of traders aged above 60 years made losses, as compared to 93% of those aged below 30. Small and mid-income traders, which make up 98% of the total trader base, witnessed average losses per person of Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh in FY24 in futures and options, respectively. The winner here? Clearly, the big bulls, who declared an annual income of over Rs 1 crore, ended up with average profits of Rs 96,000 per person this year. <h2>What’s the sheriff up to?</h2>The government has finally swung into action, hiking the STT rate for F&amp;O during this year’s budget. Effective October 1, 2024, the STT on futures stands at 0.02%, up from 0.0125%. For options, it was upped to 0.1% versus 0.0625% previously. Small margins, but huge impact oncoming. Says Puneet Sharma- CEO and Fund Manager at Whitespace Alpha, “SEBI aims to enhance market stability while safeguarding investor interests, reflecting the regulator's intent to balance risk management with market participation”. But this might come with its own share of challenges, too. “Stricter norms around leverage, transparency, and capital adequacy could limit the ability of investors to determine their own risk appetite, thereby stifling innovation in trading strategies. Over-regulation in an environment that thrives on strategic flexibility and creativity could dampen the market’s dynamism, affecting India's competitiveness in the global derivatives landscape”, he observes. SEBI recently came out with a set of guidelines that aim to thwart <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>' participation in futures and options and hinder them from taking undue risks. Here's a quick recap of what's to come for the residents of the F&amp;O town Margin Requirements: To battle the high volatility and chaos which is generally seen on expiry days(i.e the last mandated date, post which an option becomes invalid), SEBI will put in place an extreme loss margin (ELM) of 2% for all open short options on the day of expiry. Translation? Traders will need to pony up more cash upfront, leaving them with fewer funds to take on risky bets. It ain't a choice: No more of one expiry every single day! Going ahead, an exchange like BSE or NSE will just be able to offer weekly expiries, that too, only on one benchmark index, as opposed to an entire buffet it currently offers. At present, NSE offers weekly options contracts for its financial index, bank and midcap indices. But say goodbye to this, and hello to derivatives on only 1 index per exchange. Raising the bar: Effective November 30, 2024, the minimum contract value for index derivatives will be upped to Rs 15 lakh, from the present Rs 5-10 lakh. The hope is that by making it ultra-expensive to enter these trades, investors will be dissuaded from taking on risky trades. Pay upfront: Starting February 2025, those trading in options will have to pay the entire options premium upfront, even before their trades are executed. This is because options generally carry very high leverage, and paying a significant sum upfront can force traders to think twice. Invigilation Pro Max: Starting April 1 2025, to make sure that the number of positions for equity index derivatives does not slyly slip over the mandated limit, especially on expiry days when trade volumes are huge, the exchanges will have to take a minimum of 4 position snapshots randomly. The question is, will these injections of sobriety be enough to calm down the steroid-fed bull of the futures and options market in India? Well, only time and market turnover will tell! For more insights into the financial markets and business news, stay tuned to our site and social media handles. And don’t forget to subscribe to Business Insider India’s newsletters for your weekly dose of Simply Put! Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

SIMPLY PUT: SEBI is on a mission to take on the wild, wild west of futures and options in India. Here’s why, what, and how

It took something surprisingly small — something that's been described as "teeny tiny" and "ultra-cropped" — to propel <keyword id="19948011" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prada" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Prada" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Prada">Prada</keyword> to its place as one of the year's few luxury winners. In fact, it measures under 10 inches long. <keyword id="20885719" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Miu-Miu" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Miu Miu" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Miu Miu">Miu Miu</keyword>'s micro miniskirt, which debuted in 2021 and subsequently went viral, taking over both TikTok and magazine front covers, is emblematic of the brand's show-stopping couple of years — and has no doubt helped its parent company, Prada, do what few luxury companies have been able to do this year: grow. "I think the 'miracle' at Prada is Miu Miu," Luca Solca, a senior analyst at Bernstein, told Business Insider. Thanks to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miu-miu-revenue-jumps-93-gen-z-asia-sales-prada-2024-7">Miu Miu's hot streak</a>, as well as a series of smart business moves at Prada itself — a focus on a controlled retail pipeline and store productivity, plus some experienced new hires — the company is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zara-inditex-pandora-thrive-amid-luxury-downturn-aspirational-consumer-trends-2024-9">bucking negative luxury trends</a>. It's selling well in Asia, its stock is up, and investors are excited. Net revenue for the first half of the year was 14% higher than in the same period in 2023 and 34% more than 2022. At luxury bellwethers LVMH and Kering, first-half sales fell 1% and 11%, respectively, compared to last year.Its stock is up more than 30% year-to-date, even more than that of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hermes-became-ultimate-status-symbol-2024-2">Hermès, luxury's perennial market leader</a>. Along with Moncler, it's one of only two buy-rated luxury stocks at HSBC. The 111-year-old, family-run, Milanese leather goods shop turned cutting-edge fashion superhouse is now enjoying one of its greatest runs in history. <h2>The trendy little sister</h2>As any elder sibling knows well, sometimes the flashy, fun younger sister can outshine even the most well-prepared eldest. Miu Miu is doing just that. The more experimental brand has become the "It" girl of the fashion industry. It's number two on The Lyst Fashion Index, a quarterly measure of the hottest fashion brands. Searches for Miu Miu are up 47% this year on luxury resale platform The RealReal. The micro minis that stormed the runway in 2021, a sneaker collab with New Balance, and the quilted Wander bags have become must-have looks. That's translated into impressive results: <keyword id="19957111" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-sales" source="keywords">Retail sales</keyword> were up 50% in 2023 and 86% in the first half of this year. Last quarter, website traffic was up 110% year over year, Stifel's Rogerio Fujimori reported in his July note. The brand will likely hit $1 billion in revenue this year. <div type="image" title="Miu Miu micro miniskirt" height="3109" width="4663" msid="113815737" hostid="261"></div>Part of it is the brand's messaging. "Miu Miu is resonating with consumers because of a savvy mix of product and communication marketing," Solca said. In a recent note, he highlighted the brand's events — a tennis club, literary club, and film series — that go beyond just fashion to form a "cultural aesthetic." Miu Miu has embraced stars (Sydney Sweeney and Gigi Hadid were featured in recent campaigns), which has energized its following. The brand has also managed to tap into Asian markets — one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-luxury-retail-sales-slowdown-brands-fashion-2024-7">most challenging sectors for luxury brands</a>. Again, some smart marketing has helped. The brand enlisted K-pop icons as ambassadors and dressed Chinese stars Lexie Liu, Zhao Jinmai, and Wu Yanshu. It also increased spending on Little Red Book, a social media platform in China, and threw events in Tokyo, Taipei, and Nanjing. In short — pun intended — you can't get trendier than Miu Miu right now, and being trendy is good for business. <h2>The business behind the boom</h2>But Miu Miu's popularity, as attention-grabbing as it is, is only part of the story. The brand accounted for 15% of Prada's sales last year. HSBC analysts called its growth a "(big) cherry on the cake" — the cake being Prada (which didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider for this story). Behind Miu Miu's Mary Jane shoes and Arcade bags is a success story at its parent company. The group's namesake line is growing, albeit at a slower and steadier pace. Prada's retail sales were up 3% in the first half of the year compared to last year and 7% in 2023. It's been among Lyst's top five hottest brands since 2022. This didn't happen by accident: In 2017, Prada committed to a turnaround strategy following a few losing yearsand a drop in profitability. At more than 100 years old, Prada hadn't entered the new millennium: Its full product line wasn't available through e-commerce, and its advertising wasn't digitized. "In 2015, the tide really turned for them," Jelena Sokolova, a senior analyst for Morningstar, told Business Insider. "They fared worse than the industry: Sales were negative for a number of years; their earnings plummeted." In response, Prada focused on retail, a channel in which it can control prices and cut back on wholesale, which now represents only 11% of sales. It made an effort to cut down on discounts — a problem that has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-burberry-became-fashions-biggest-fail-stock-drop-ceo-ousting-2024-8">plagued labels like Burberry</a> and Gucci and can lead to diminishing brand perception. At its retail stores, new CEO Andrea Guerra, who arrived in 2023 from LVMH, has drilled down on productivity, or how much money each square foot of retail space generates, by launching in-store installations, forming one-to-one relationships between sales associates and customers, and infusing stores with wearable pieces and collaborations. The company closed stores that weren't performing and renovated the ones that were. It's worked: Retail productivity has increased 32.5% between 2019 and 2023. <div type="image" title="Prada store" height="3333" width="5000" msid="113815742" hostid="261"></div>There has also been a slew of management changes. In 2020, the company brought on Raf Simons, heralded as one of the biggest stars in the design world, as co-creative director, sharing the title with Muccia Prada — the company's billionaire heiress who The New York Times has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/style/miu-miu-chanel-louis-vuitton-paris-fashion-week.html">referred</a> to as "the most influential woman in fashion." Prada now has more time to use her keen sense of design at Miu Miu. In the years following, it recruited talent from LVMH and Goldman Sachs to join its top ranks. And then there is the sheer cyclicality of fashion and the fact that, after a few years of being less-than-hot, Prada is once again on the rise. It has embraced the 1990s and Y2K aesthetic — a heyday for Prada — popular with Gen Z and was the most searched brand among the demographic on The RealReal. Hit products pushed the profitable leather goods category to revenues of more than $2 billion last year. There was a reimagining of the early 2010s it-bag, the Galleria, complete with a Scarlett Johansson-led campaign. Other handbag rereleases, like that of the Nylon, have taken off, while new purse styles like the Buckle and Arqué got callouts in last year's earnings report. That momentum gave the brand an upper hand going into the luxury downturn. "People prioritize which brands they want to spend on. With a limited budget, first, you drop the ones that were not hot to begin with," Sokolova said. <h2>Can Prada's hot streak last?</h2>Just as fashion comes in, it can come out. And Prada's story — particularly Miu Miu's rapid-fire growth — in some ways mimics that of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gucci-sales-profit-reputation-falling-luxury-kering-michele-china-2024-5">Gucci's hype-driven rise and plummeting fall under Alessandro Michele</a>. "You kind of become a victim of your own success," Sokolova said. Both Prada and Miu Miu are susceptible to volatility, though for different reasons. Miu Miu is still relatively small, meaning its brand identity is not yet established enough to withstand the whims of consumers. CEO Guerra has acknowledged that such incredible growth can lead to a challenge. "There appears to be a glass ceiling," Solca wrote in a recent note. "Being prominent brings fatigue: after a while, consumers feel they have seen and done enough with these brands and move on." Prada, meanwhile, is more exposed in the cyclical ready-to-wear category — which makes up 32% of sales — than other brands like Gucci and YSL. But there are signs of continued growth: Miu Miu is adding 10 to 15 stores next year, while Prada is adding five to 10, the company has said. The brand's retail footprint is particularly underpenetrated in the US. The company's beauty business is still nascent. Last year, it launched skincare and makeup through a partnership with L'Oréal, and there is more money to be made in that sector. With so much control of its sales chain, the company can raise prices and limit overexposure through low-end collaborations or expansion into cheap categories. Plus, the slowdown hasn't happened yet: Miu Miu website traffic and sales continued to grow between the first and second quarters, and the company maintains it's not a flash in the pan. "This is a result of many years of work on the brand, on the products, on the people," Guerra said about Miu Miu's success on the company's most recent earnings call. Meanwhile, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prada-white-tank-top-status-symbol-2024-2">Prada has maintained its brand value</a>. But the woman Miuccia Prada herself knows the pressure is on. "I was very nervous for this show," she told reporters backstage at the line's fashion show earlier this month about the new collection, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/20/style/prada-fendi-milan-fashion-week.html">The New York Times reported</a>. "Much more than usual." September 30, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Miuccia Prada.

How Prada is beating the odds and bucking the luxury slump 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Much of the office market may be mired in a downturn, but demand has been strong for high-end space.</li><li>New office construction has dropped off sharply, leading to a potential upcoming shortage.</li></ul>Office vacancy is at a record high in Washington, DC, and the city is regarded as one of the nation's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-federal-government-is-cutting-back-its-office-footprint-2023-6">most challenged</a> markets – in part because of its heavy reliance on federal tenants that have continued to slim down their spaces.Yet Hilary Goldfarb, a senior managing director at Rockefeller Development who leads the company's Washington, DC, operations, has little doubt about the sleek 400,000-square-foot office property her firm is raising at 600 Fifth St.When the building is completed in mid-2026, Goldfarb says she is "confident it will be full.""This is not hope as a strategy," she added, noting that half of the project was pre-leased to the law firm Crowell &amp; Morning. "It's based on real data and real activity."Across the country, major office markets from New York to San Francisco have been pummeled by the lasting popularity of remote and hybrid work. Newly built, high-end offices, however, are finding takers.That demand has persisted even as office construction has been stifled by higher interest rates and inflation, which have pushed up costs. Worries over the health of the office market have also made lenders reluctant to finance new development.About 30 million square feet of new office space will be completed this year in the US, roughly half of what was built in 2019, before the pandemic, says CBRE, the real estate services firm. In 2025, deliveries will fall even further, to 14 million square feet, CBRE projects.While the overall office market is awash in hundreds of millions of square feet of empty space, CBRE predicts that vacancy in the market's upper segment will drop to pre-pandemic levels by 2027 – around the same time projects that are breaking ground now will be ready.A growing number of office developers have taken notice and see a budding shortage they are eager to cater to. Large office tenants, who often plan their space decisions years in advance, have also begun to recognize that while space options may abound now, they are likely to vanish in the coming years – raising interest in new development."The last six, seven months, there's not just people coming kicking the tires, there's people that are really looking to engage," said Scott Rechler, the CEO of RXR Realty, referring to what he says is growing tenant interest in 175 Park Ave., a 2.8-million-square-foot skyscraper designed by Skidmore, Owings &amp; Merrill that developers RXR and TF Cornerstone are planning next to Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan.The group now aims to begin construction on the more than $4 billion, 1,575-foot-tall tower midway through 2025 and with significantly less pre-leasing than originally planned because of their growing confidence in demand. Asking rents at the tower will be above $200 per square foot, among the highest ever sought in the city."There used to be a point where we thought we would need to pre-lease all of it," Rechler said. "Now, we think that at 500,000 feet, it's probably enough to get going."Rechler said that interest in elite new space had been stoked by other high-end offerings in the market, such as One Vanderbilt, a recently built nearby tower, JPMorgan's new headquarters at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-nyc-headquarters-design-270-park-avenue-request-proposals-2021-4">270 Park Ave.</a>, and a planned skyscraper at 350 Park Ave. that will house the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ken-griffin-citadel-office-space-real-estate-fifth-avenue-2024-8">investment firm Citadel</a>."If your competitors have a building like that that they're identified with and you're trying to be on a parallel path, you're going to say I want to be in a space at the same level or better," Rechler said.<div type="image" title="Large conference room and office space overlooking Midtown Manhattan." height="1852" width="5000" msid="113908775" hostid="261" sizebytes="387772"></div><h2 id="5d3faa99-284e-4185-804a-807a2344cd11">Other developers are laying plans for new towers</h2>The large development firm Related Companies, meanwhile, says that four office towers it has built with Oxford Properties as part of their Hudson Yards mega-project, are now 99% full. The team is readying to begin a new 45-story, 1.1-million-square-foot office property called 70 Hudson Yards next year."We think we're going to be one of the only new buildings in '27, '28 when there's going to be no new supply," Philippe Visser, Related's president of office development, said.Even as overall office vacancy is now at 15.1% in Manhattan, according to CBRE, Visser sees little competition between the overwhelming majority of that empty space and Hudson Yards, where a number of major corporate names have migrated in recent years to take occupancy of newly built buildings. Tenants include Wells Fargo, KKR, BlackRock, Meta, and L'Oréal."All these successful companies who are looking for really dynamic office space want new construction," Visser said.70 Hudson Yards will feature an array of state-of-the-art features, including a triple-paned glass facade, which greatly enhances the insulating properties of glass exteriors and will make the building more energy efficient and appealing to sustainability-conscious office users.In Lower Manhattan, Larry Silverstein hinted that he is close to moving ahead with plans to erect the final office skyscraper at the World Trade Center, a 2.8 million-square-foot tower designed by architect Norman Foster.Rumors abound that Silverstein is close to signing a large lease with American Express that would allow the project to proceed."Just stay tuned" was all Silverstein would say about the possible deal at the tower, 2 World Trade Center.Silverstein said he was certain other tenants would fill up the remainder of the building's available space once construction is underway."When you put everything this buildings has all together, it's superior," Silverstein said. "It never left my mind that someday we would succeed in accomplishing Tower 2 – and that's where we are today."Manhattan is particularly conducive to new construction in that it has both a large captive audience of corporate office users and a deep inventory of old, outdated office properties that have fallen out of favor.But because there is so little office construction on the horizon nationally, builders have begun to lay similar plans in other markets with similar dynamics.Visser, for instance, says Related expects to break ground on a new 40-story, 925,000-square-foot office tower at 725 W. Randolph St. in Chicago by next year.Although that city is also awash in available space, the building would be one of the only available newly built office properties in the Fulton Market neighborhood, a desirable sub-district in the city's West Loop that is known for its retail and restaurants, he said.Related Ross, a spinoff development firm launched earlier this year by Related's founder, Stephen Ross, is about to begin construction on 15 City Place, a nearly 500,000-square-foot office building in West Palm Beach, Florida. The project is about 70% pre-leased to an undisclosed roster of tenants, according to Jordan Rathlev, a senior vice president of development at the company.Rathlev said he recently received a space inquiry from a financial technology firm that is seeking at least 300,000 square feet – far more than 15 City Place can accommodate. The interest from that tenant and others has given a boost to the company's ambitions to begin building a neighboring office property called 10 City Place that will also be around 500,000 square feet in size."The intent is that they're both going at the same time," Rathlev said, indicating Related's hope that it will sign enough anchor tenancy at 10 City Place to build it and 15 City Place simultaneously.<h2 id="70c57a95-0968-4007-a21d-96efb55c9ff3">A tale of two office markets</h2>There is a yawning gap between the health of top tier office space and the wider market, according to data from CBRE.The firm labels new and heavily renovated spaces that meet a host of quality measures as "prime" – a segment that encompasses only 8% of overall office inventory nationally.A net total of 49.3 million square feet of prime space was absorbed between 2020 and the first quarter of 2024, according to CBRE. Around 170.3 million square feet of net vacancy accrued in the rest of the office market during that same period.Overall office vacancy nationally was 19.1% in June, close to a record level. Prime vacancy was 15.5% and CBRE forecasts that figure will drop by almost half, to 8.2% by 2027, its pre-pandemic average."We believe that this absorption estimate is conservative, and the prime vacancy rate could return to its pre-pandemic level sooner given continued job growth," Jessica Morin, CBRE's director of US office research, said.These top-of-the-market spaces, which charged a 60% premium before the pandemic, are now 84% more expensive than competing spaces.With little supply, that differential could grow."8.2% is a healthy prime market and we expect rent growth in this tranche," Morin said.Driving the solid metrics is a lack of new supply.While a total of 44 million square feet of office space is presently under construction, only about 17.3 million square feet of it, 39% of the total, is considered prime, according to CBRE. 8 million square feet of that is pre-leased, meaning that there is only about 10 million square feet of upcoming available top quality space.<h2 id="ccbe14d6-6f15-40b7-b453-f934e9df0594">Financing remains a sticking point</h2>Even with the tailwinds, financing high end office construction remains a challenge. Banks have grown wary of lending to office projects, even those that are likely to be a financial success, because of broader concerns around declining values, increased foreclosures, and potential financial losses in the sector.Rechler said that RXR was considering "alternative strategies" to arrange financing for 175 Park Ave., as a result."The scale of this project is of a level, I'm not sure you'd be able to get enough traditional banks, as an example, to be a lender," Rechler said.Rechler said RXR has explored other routes to arrange the billions of dollars of debt necessary to fund 175 Park Ave.'s construction, including the municipal bond market, in part because the project includes $500 million of transit upgrades to Grand Central Terminal."I feel good," Rechler said, "that we'll have the right combination of pre-leasing and financing to begin next year."

What office meltdown? Developers see a shortage of high-end space and are rushing to build it. 

<keyword id="19896380" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Industries" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Industries" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Industries">Reliance Industries</keyword>, under the leadership of <keyword id="19916798" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani" source="keywords">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>, showcased its vision for the future during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) that was held today (August 29). During the AGM, <keyword id="19936674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance" source="keywords">Reliance</keyword> laid out ambitious plans that span across its diverse businesses. The conglomerate, which has interests ranging from oil to telecom to retail, is positioning itself as a key player in India’s growth story, with a particular focus on <keyword id="20239522" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="technological-innovation" source="keywords">technological innovation</keyword>, energy security, and retail expansion. <h2>Not chasing short-term profits</h2><keyword id="19898589" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ambani" source="keywords">Ambani</keyword>, during his speech, said that Reliance is not merely chasing short-term profits but is dedicated to creating long-term wealth for the nation. He reiterated the company’s commitment to providing high-quality products and services that enhance the lives of Indian consumers. The chairman announced that the company’s board will consider issuing bonus shares on September 5, further rewarding shareholders as Reliance continues to grow. <h2>Transforming into a deep-tech company</h2>A major theme of the AGM this year was Reliance’s transformation into a deep tech company, with advanced manufacturing capabilities at its core. Ambani described this shift as essential to securing a place in the global top-30 companies in the near future. He highlighted the company’s strategic adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), calling it one of the most transformative events in human history. AI, he noted, opens up new avenues to address complex problems, making Reliance a net producer of technology. Reliance has been making significant strides in R&amp;D, with over ₹3,643 crore invested in FY24 alone, taking the total research expenditure to over ₹11,000 crore in the last four years. This investment is driving innovations in various areas, including bio-energy, solar power, green energy, and high-value chemicals. The company has also been active in digital research, filing patents in 6G, 5G, AI, and IoT, among others. Ambani assured that this tech-driven transformation would propel Reliance into a new phase of hyper-growth, multiplying its value in the coming years. <h2><keyword id="20337020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-business" source="keywords">Retail business</keyword> to double</h2>In addition to technological advancements, Reliance Retail, the company’s retail arm, is set to double its business in the next three to four years. Isha Ambani, Director of Reliance Retail, shared that the retail segment recorded a gross revenue of ₹3.06 lakh crore for the financial year ending March 31, 2024, marking a 17.8% growth over the previous year. The retail business has rapidly expanded, with Reliance opening 1,840 new stores in the past year, bringing the total to 18,836 stores across 79 million square feet of retail space. This growth has positioned Reliance Retail among the top-5 global retailers in terms of store count and among the top-10 in market capitalization globally. Isha Ambani emphasised that much of this growth is driven by a focus on smaller towns, where two-thirds of the new stores have been opened. Reliance Retail is also focused on creating high-quality, affordable products through its Consumer Brands business, which has seen the re-launch of popular brands like Campa, Lotus Chocolates, and Sosyo. Mukesh Ambani concluded by underscoring Reliance’s mission to provide energy security to India while also contributing to a cleaner and greener world. As the global landscape becomes increasingly uncertain, he expressed confidence in India’s role as a key growth engine in the global economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that India will become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, surpassing Japan and Germany. Ambani affirmed that Reliance will continue to be a driving force in India’s march toward becoming a developed nation.

Reliance AGM 2024: Company aims to double retail business, Mukesh Ambani says not pursuing short-term profit

Demand for industrial and <keyword id="108235" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="logistics" source="Orion">logistics</keyword> spaces hit an all-time high across eight major cities last year with <keyword id="117877" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="leasing" source="Orion">leasing</keyword> activity rising annually by 8 per cent, according to <keyword id="20060150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbre" source="keywords">CBRE</keyword>. In its latest report, <keyword id="6354553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="real-estate" source="Orion">real estate</keyword> consultant CBRE said that the leasing of industrial and logistics spaces rose to 38.8 million square feet in 2023 from 36 million square feet in the previous year driven mainly by demand from third-party logistics (3PL) companies. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman &amp; CEO, India, Southeast Asia, Middle East &amp; Africa, CBRE, said, "As we envision the future of the industrial and logistics sector, this robust growth is a testament to the sector's resilience despite global economic challenges." Leasing activities across the top eight cities remained robust in 2023, showing a steady annual space occupancy, he said. "The leasing landscape in 2023 reflects a pronounced influence of 3PL players, commanding a substantial 45% share," Magazine said. The consultant noted that diverse industries, including <keyword id="35621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-commerce" source="Orion">e-commerce</keyword>, <keyword id="6354851" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail" source="Orion">retail</keyword>, and <keyword id="6362048" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="manufacturing" source="Orion">manufacturing</keyword>, chose to outsource their supply chain operations to 3PL firms. This strategic move was aimed at meeting storage requirements, attaining increased flexibility, cost reduction, and overcoming challenges associated with labour sourcing. Engineering and manufacturing companies constituted 17 per cent of the total leasing activity. The proactive government policies and initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme played a pivotal role in fuelling the growth of domestic engineering and manufacturing firms. Leasing of industrial and logistics spaces in Mumbai touched an all-time high, registering 9.9 million sq ft in 2023 as against 7.3 million square feet in the previous year. In Delhi-NCR, the demand fell to 7 million square feet last year from 9.4 million square feet during 2022 calendar year. Bengaluru saw a decline to 4.7 million square feet from 5.9 million square feet. Kolkata too witnessed a dip to 3 million square feet from 3.8 million square feet. However, in Hyderabad, the demand grew to 4.3 million square feet from 3.7 million square feet. Leasing of industrial and logistics spaces in Chennai increased to 6 million square feet from 3.9 million square feet. In Pune, the leasing went up to 1.7 million square feet from 0.7 million square feet. The demand for industrial and logistic warehousing spaces in Ahmedabad rose to 2.2 million square feet last year from 1.2 million square feet in the 2022 calendar year. "Driven by increased demand for high-quality spaces, restricted availability of quality supply in specific locations, and an escalation in land costs, rental values witnessed an annual rise in prominent micro-markets across cities, except in the case of Kolkata," CBRE said.

Industrial & logistics space demand hit record in 2023 at 38.8 mn sq ft in 8 cities: CBRE

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="22291266" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saks-Fifth-Avenue" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Saks Fifth Avenue" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Saks Fifth Avenue">Saks Fifth Avenue</keyword> is purchasing <keyword id="22296565" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neiman-Marcus" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Neiman Marcus" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Neiman Marcus">Neiman Marcus</keyword> for $2.65 billion amid <keyword id="22368227" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="luxury-retail-challenges" source="keywords">luxury retail challenges</keyword>.</li><li><keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> and <keyword id="20128940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Salesforce" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Salesforce" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Salesforce">Salesforce</keyword> are taking minority stakes in Saks Global, the new company.</li></ul>In a deal that shows just how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stores-that-dont-exist-anymore-2018-8">hard things are getting in the luxury retail space,</a> Saks Fifth Avenue's parent is purchasing rival department store company Neiman Marcus for $2.65 billion, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/saks-owner-to-buy-neiman-marcuswith-help-from-amazon-f71a0fda">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fashion-boss-says-more-luxury-brands-want-sell-amazon-2020-11">Amazon — which has long tried to boost its luxury offerings</a> as part of its "everything store" concept — and Salesforce are getting in on it, too, with both taking minority stakes in the new company, Saks Global. The pair will provide technology and logistics support to the latest luxury giant, the Journal said. As e-commerce and the power of luxury conglomerates like <keyword id="20018817" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="LVMH" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="LVMH" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="LVMH">LVMH</keyword> and Kering have grown, department stores are facing diminishing returns. In 2020, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-lord-and-taylor-history-photos-2020-8">Lord &amp; Taylor</a> filed for bankruptcy. Macy's announced in February that it would be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/macys-stores-closing-locations-list">closing 150 stores over the next three years</a>. In a way, the old palaces of retail are becoming places to browse, perhaps, but not purchase. Take somebody looking to buy a new luxury bag. They may visit Bergdorf Goodman, a Neiman Marcus-owned store in New York, to try on a few for size before setting their sights on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/loewe-hottest-luxury-fashion-clothing-brand-2023-7">Loewe Flamenco bag,</a> an it bag from an it brand. Rather than shell out $2,600 on the spot, they may go home and give it a think — and a Google. Maybe there's a discount code available on e-commerce retailer like Net-a-Porter or Moda Operandi, known for their sales. If not, rather than schlep back to the department store, why not go straight to the source, the Loewe boutique? Like many LVMH brands, Loewe's stores have gotten upgrades in recent years and will surely roll out the royal treatment to those willing to drop a couple of grand. (And you get some nice branded packaging for any unboxing TikToks you want to do, of course.) The above situation is playing out more and more often, making the consolidation and synergies that a Saks-Neimans merger, which has been in talks for months, all the more appealing. It also makes the new company's leader — Marc Metrick, who runs Saks' e-commerce business — a natural choice. But it is worth noting that, even together, the brand is a fraction of the size of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cartier-van-cleef-richemont-winning-luxury-beating-lvmh-kering-2024-6">other luxury powerhouses</a>. The Journal estimated the combined business would have about $10 billion in retail sales — just over 10% of the $94 billion LVMH brought in last year. It may be those conglomerates, which own top brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior (LVMH) and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gucci-sales-profit-reputation-falling-luxury-kering-michele-china-2024-5">Gucci</a> and Saint Laurent (Kering), that the new Saks is trying most fervently to fend off, especially since many have their own stores or e-commerce operations. Combined, Saks and Neimans will have more negotiating power with designers, forcing them to loosen their tight control on retail channels, and be able to cut certain logistics costs. The new company can use those savings to boost marketing or the in-store experience to rival those of branded boutiques. They've got something else in the back pocket of their designer jeans. No matter how mighty <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-bernard-arnault-owner-louis-vuitton-lvmh-net-worth">Bernard Arnault's</a> LVMH is, there will always be people who do want to browse that curated selection of handbags or outfits — and at least a few of those people will splurge on the spot. Correction: July 5, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the estimated sales of the combined business. It is expected to have $10 billion in retail sales, not $10 million.

Two luxury rivals are joining forces — and Amazon is getting in on the action 

<ul><li><keyword id="20313645" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-leasing" source="keywords">Retail leasing</keyword> in the sector is expected to sustain at 6-6.5 million square feet in 2024, says CBRE.</li><li>By the year-end, 5-6 mn. sq. ft. of investment-grade mall space will become operational in <keyword id="21259569" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tier-I-cities" source="keywords">tier-I cities</keyword>.</li><li>Domestic brands are expected to turn cautious, but <keyword id="20322579" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-brands" source="keywords">global brands</keyword> are continuing to expand, according to the report.</li></ul><keyword id="20020606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-brands" source="keywords">Indian brands</keyword> are turning cautious with their retail expansion. Hence, the leasing in the sector is expected to sustain at 6-6.5 million square feet in 2024, according to the latest report by the commercial real estate firm CBRE. The saturation follows the remarkable growth in 2023, as brands absorbed a little over 7 million sq ft. The supply environment in terms of retail space like malls and high streets is also expected to be stable in the current year. By the year-end, 5-6 mn. sq. ft. of investment-grade mall space will become operational in tier-I cities. “Retailers, including anchor tenants and established brands, are expected to proceed cautiously with expansion plans. They will prioritize locations with high visibility, strong foot traffic and favourable consumer demographics. As a result, rental growth is expected to rationalize across both primary and secondary locations,” the report says. But, there is a silver lining! Luxury and premium brands, especially global brands, are choosing to spread their wings in top cities despite the global macroeconomic and sectoral challenges. “Foreign luxury retailers are entering India through partnerships with local players. The upcoming launches of a few brands underline this trend. This reflects a renewed optimism in India's <keyword id="71937" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-sector" source="Orion">retail sector</keyword>,” said Ram Chandnani, managing director, advisory &amp; transactions Services, CBRE India. Retail demand across investment-grade malls, prominent high streets and standalone developments has grown consistently since 2020. Tier-I cities remain key expansion hubs, and promising tier-II markets are attracting new players. Malls are transforming into experiential centres, offering a mix of entertainment, dining and shopping. “Fuelled by pent-up demand and strategic expansion, India's luxury retail sector is experiencing a leasing boom, attracting both established brands deepening their presence and new international players entering the market. This expansion reaches beyond Delhi and Mumbai to the newer markets like Hyderabad and Ahmedabad,” said Anshuman Magazine, chairman &amp; CEO of India, South-East Asia, Middle East &amp; Africa, CBRE. In 2024, the home décor segment is likely to expand in both online and offline formats, while fashion and apparel players will continue expanding in tier-I cities across malls and high streets, the report adds. It also sees good traction from domestic jewellery brands as well as the entertainment category.

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