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New Delhi, May 17 () Leading retailers have witnessed an increase in number of footfalls along with a "significant" jump in average purchase value in the third phase of the lockdown.According to industry players such as Metro Cash &amp; Carry, Lots Wholesale Solutions, Future Group and V-Mart Retail, as restrictions were eased more stores could open thereby increasing customer walk-ins, availability of popular FMCG products and high-value items.Some of the items that saw increased demand in the third phase of lockdown include dry fruits, frozen non-vegetarian products, personal care products - grooming, cold beverages and premium products.Supply of these products was disrupted in the previous two phases of the lockdown imposed from March 25 to control the spread of coronavirus pandemic."The footfalls have gone up by a third over the previous lockdown as restrictions are getting eased especially in Karnataka, Delhi and Telangana," Metro Cash &amp; Carry India MD &amp; CEO Arvind Mediratta told .He said there are several factors which impact store walk- ins, operational timings of the store along-with other factors in that particular city that play a role in store footfalls.Expressing similar views, Lots Wholesale Solutions Managing Director Tanit Chearavanont said as restrictions on movement are being eased, the number of footfalls is increasing in stores along with average purchase value."With every passing day and government providing some ease in movement, we have witnessed increased footfall at our stores largely from local kiranas and retailers during the lockdown and overall the average purchase value per customer has gone up," he said.Value fashion and lifestyle products retailer V-Mart Retail said the number of its operational stores pan-India has gone up, so also the number of customers."Earlier, one store has an average visit of around 40-50 customers which now has gone up to 130 to 150 per day. The basket size has also increased as people still have some tendency to hoard," said V-Mart Retail Chairman and MD Lalit Agarwal.According to him, in May and June, some marriages were scheduled. As restrictions were eased, low profile marriage happened in limited small groups and people have done some shoppings, which has turned the situation favourable.According to Mediratta, in the third phase availability of popular brands has increased and customers are returning back to them again preferring over the local and private labels."A major trend that we witnessed in the second phase was that customers were ready to switch to local brands in the same product category. If their favourite brands were not available, they were happy to transition to a private label brand," he said'"With the government easing out manufacturing and measures taken to open the economy, consumers have started to pick up brands again with availability improving and are demanding value added categories."Future Group President Food &amp; FMCG Kamaldeep Singh said that though the situation is still not close to normal but average purchase by a customer has gone up."Number of footfalls and shopping trips are still down but the average value of the bill is higher due to lesser number of visits by a customer," he said adding "customers are largely picking staples, food items and personal hygiene products".However, Singh also added that customers have still not started picking personal care products like deodorant, skin care, vanity and beauty products.Walmart India, which operates Best Price cash &amp; carry stores, witnessed a spike on demand of staples and hygiene products and expects a pent-up demand in the non-essential categories, which was opened in the third phase of the lockdown."With non-essential categories opening up, we expect some pent up demand in small kitchen and home appliances like irons, kettles, pressure cookers, and fans," said Anuj Singh, Chief Merchandising Officer, Best Price Walmart India.In the coming days retailers are hoping for a further easing of restriction as they continue to face some supply constraints as most of FMCG companies are not operating in full swing."We expect the government to ease restrictions in all the zones. The situation should normalise, and the demand &amp; supply should become more consistent," said Chearavanont.While Mediratta has suggested, the state authorities to work in unison with the central government so there is seamless functioning of businesses across sectors."The list of essential items should be further extended and all stores should be allowed to operate without any restrictions on timings," he added.India is presently going through an unprecedented lockdown from March 25 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus with the third phase ending on Sunday. KRH RKL MR

Consumers footfall increase, average basket value goes up at retail stores in lockdown 3.0

New Delhi, Apr 19 () More and more retailers will be bound to cling to e-commerce platforms and mobile apps as the prevailing situation amid coronavirus lockdown is expected to lead to shift in consumer behaviour, according to LOTS Wholesale Solutions. Subsequently, there will be a need to have an omni channel strategy -- Online to Offline (O2O) -- for the retail industry in order to cater to the changing needs of consumers. LOTS Wholesale Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siam Makro Public Co Ltd - Thailand's leading cash and carry operator, said there will be an impact on its business due to the current situation as both industry and suppliers are facing problems ranging from shutdowns, labour shortages, supply chain disruptions, etc. "No doubt, there will be some impact of this current situation in the near future. However, in phase-II of the lockdown the situation will normalise with time and the retail sector will embark on its journey towards recovery, albeit slowly," LOTS Wholesale Solutions Managing Director Tanit Chearavanont told . He further said that anticipating the challenges retailers might have already started working on several strategies. "They will also need to optimise their omnichannel approach in order to cater to targeted customers," Chearavanont added. According to him, the current situation has reinforced the importance of O2O strategy for the retail businesses. Meanwhile, the government on Sunday prohibited e-commerce platforms from selling non-essential items during the lockdown, four days after allowing the companies to sell all kinds of goods. The April 15 order had said e-commerce platforms were allowed to sell such items from April 20. On the prevailing situation and its impact on the retail sector, Chearavanont said, "This situation has also highlighted the importance of the O2O strategy for businesses in India. Retailers will increasingly provide services through e-commerce platforms and mobile applications," he said adding as "more customers are expected to switch to e-commerce options and digital payments". He further said, "The impact is also visible on suppliers who faced some challenges with production due to mass labour migration and other movement restrictions." LOTS Wholesale also expects that like China, the Indian retail sector will also recover post this crisis. "As soon as lockdown restrictions ease, there should be an increase in the overall demand for goods. Economic activity will increase having a positive rub-off across industries," he said. However, he also agrees that like China, which was the first country to be impacted by covid-19, Indian retailers may also face problem in segments such as fashion, apparels, electronic items as people may cut their discretionary spends post lockdown. According to him, China has already shown the signs of delayed purchases with over 40 per cent consumers wanting to make major purchases when the outbreak completely settles. "In India too, purchasing habits could take longer to return to normal. When the situation normalises, people will start coming back to their normal routine and the demand for non-essential items will gradually increase. We are hopeful that demand for apparel, appliances, houseware items will witness growth," he said. While talking about the challenges during the lockdown, Chearavanont said several retailers and FMCG brands worked together to smoothen the supply chain process. "For instance, at LOTS, we are directly procuring commodities and ensuring we send our own fleets of trucks and workers to bring provisions from distribution centres of FMCG companies," he added. The company also foresees that phase 2 of lockdown will see "increased production" as the manufacturing will stabilise. "Ease in the movement of trucks will also aid in restoring supply chain to an extent. Companies will institute standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of its workforce boosting the confidence of employees," Chearavanont said. Lots Wholesale Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thailand's leading Cash &amp; Carry operator Siam Makro, which is a part of the USD 50 billion Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group). Established in 2017, LOTS Wholesale Solutions operates three stores in Delhi NCR and has plans to add three more this year. KRH RKL MKJ

Post lockdown, online-to-offline strategy to get prominence in retail industry: LOTS Wholesale

New Delhi, Feb 23 () German wholesale retailer Metro Cash &amp; Carry is gearing up for expansion in India with the addition of five new stores this year and also plans to accelerate its e-commerce play and partnership with kirana stores, according to a top company official. The wholesale retailer, which has registered profits in the last two years in India, has so far partnered with 2,000 kirana stores in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi, offering them complete end-to-end retail solutions. "The company thinks India is a big growth market. The opportunity for growth in India is huge in both physical stores and e-commerce," Metro Cash &amp; Carry India Managing Director and CEO Arvind Mediratta told . As part of expansion plans, he said, "we have five stores coming up this year in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana." Metro Cash &amp; Carry currently has 27 cash and carry stores in India in 17 cities. When asked about investments for the new stores, he declined to comment but said besides the new physical stores, the company has also been focussing on its partnership with local neighbourhood stores through its 'Smart Kirana Programme'. The whole idea is how to make a kirana store smarter in terms of usage of technology, by running business more efficiently, targeting more customers using data analytics, drive more customer traffic and make it more successful and profitable, he added. "We believe in helping kiranas in increasing their sell-out, not just sell to them because if their sell-out improves, and if they think Metro can help increase their sell-out, we automatically become their preferred supplier," Mediratta said. The company has provided point of sale (PoS) devices, which come with a Metro app to kirana owners through which they can order items from Metro online, get daily sales and profit report while also track top customers, the most selling articles and slow moving items. The device also allows them to accept debit/credit cards and accept wallet payments, which offer customer cashbacks and other offers. It enables passing on of such benefits to the end customer, he added. "The programme is working well and we believe we now have enough results and have got approval from our global board to expand this programme and take it national. We are now already in the process of scaling it up," he said. For scaling up its Smart Kirana Programme, Mediratta, said the company is taking it one step at a time. "Our idea is to first saturate Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi before you enter newer cities. You get better returns on investment if you do one market and do it really well, this is one of our big learnings when it comes to profitability. Strengthen your dominance wherever you are," he said. Metro has partnered with Paytm in Delhi and MSwipe in the rest of the country for digital payments while it has also roped in ePayLater which not only offers credit to kirana stores but also to their end-customers enabling them to shop at specific stores, Mediratta added. Stating that Indian retail landscape is changing with new-age online players both in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) investing a lot of money, including on pricing which has put a lot of pressure on local kirana stores. In order to help the small stores keep up with the changes, he said Metro is also helping the kirana owners remodel their stores and convert old closed-loop stores into an open format modern store where customers can come inside and shop thereby increasing customer traffic and impulse buying. "What we are tying to do is organise loans for these kiranas for remodelling, because it can cost from Rs 75,000 to Rs 2 lakh and the remodelling operations takes only 48 hours," Mediratta said. RKL DRR

Metro Cash & Carry to open 5 new stores in India this year, enhance partnership with kirana stores

New Delhi, May 3 () The second phase of the coronavirus lockdown saw a considerable shift in buying patterns of consumers from basic necessities to high-value items like snacks, processed food, packaged meat and frozen desserts, retailers said. Retailers such as Future Group, Metro and Lots Wholesale said they witnessed a spike in demand for packaged food products like biscuits and noodles, resulting in an increase in the average purchase value per customer. People also sought critical non-food products such as kitchen appliances, electrical goods, stationery and storage containers at Metro. "Yes, the second phase witnessed a growing demand for processed food, packaged meat and frozen desserts. People are working from home. Hence, snack items, biscuits and hot beverages are also in demand amongst customers," Metro Cash &amp; Carry India MD and CEO Arvind Mediratta told . As the restrictions started easing, customers saw they could get easy access to their daily essentials and so panic buying stopped, he added. "Initially, customers were unsure of what the trickle down effect of the lockdown would be. Consumers started becoming vigilant and began hoarding essential commodities. There was a sense of panic. "But gradually, everyone was made aware that all essential products will continue to be available and people will not face a shortage. Currently, there is less panic buying and more need base buying," he said. As most people are working from home, Metro is witnessing enquiries from customers for IT products such as computers, mouse, keyboard, chargers and other accessories. Future Group President Food &amp; FMCG Kamaldeep Singh said in the first phase people were buying basic necessary items such as atta, pulses and sugar, but in the second phase they focussed more on food items like biscuits, noodles and pasta. "The definition of basic necessity has changed in couple of weeks from basic foods to snacking and munching items," he said. According to Singh, people are not willing to travel long distances, hence footfall of large format stores is down but sales of convenience stores like EasyDay have picked up considerably. Though people are not hoarding goods, they have cravings for snacks and other items as they are staying at home, he said. "In the second stage, people are buying products which can be cooked at home like pasta, noodles etc. Sales of frozen non-veg and home snacking and processed food have gone up to a large extent, such as French fries, baked items and ready-to-cook meals," he said. As restaurants are closed, people are cooking many dishes at home, Singh said, adding "the trend in the second phase has shifted from pure basic essentials to instant food and snacking items." Lots Wholesale Solutions Managing Director Tanit Chearavanont said the demand in the second phase is majorly coming from both the "food and non-food FMCG categories" as compared to commodities which had seen a spike in the initial phase of lockdown. "Overall, the average purchase value per customer has gone up," he said. "There is a marked difference between consumer behaviour between the first phase and the second phase of lockdown. The first phase of lockdown was fuelled by panic buy resulting in bulk purchase in categories like commodities and FMCG food products. Panic buying continued for an initial 7-10 days of lockdown, slowly giving way to consumer's confidence in the availability of essential goods," he said. Also, with the summer season kicking in, another category seeing major demand is insecticides, Chearavanont added. According to value fashion and lifestyle products retailer V-Mart Retail, now consumers are "trusting" their retailers and have faith that goods would remain available. "Though, we are not operating many stores but have observed a shift in the consumer buying pattern in the second phase of lockdown. Earlier, we had noticed panic buying by the customer, purchasing whatever they can do but now people are assured about availability. That trust has come and now people are purchasing as per their requirement," said V-Mart Retail Chairman and MD Lalit Agarwal. Meanwhile, several retailers have reported an increase in sales of their private labels, which filled the gaps as supply lines from other manufacturers were disrupted. Asked whether the trend is likely to continue, Singh said consumers in the lockdown period are brand agnostics. "Right now the consumer is not very brand conscious, he simply wants products," he said. According to Mediratta, due to the disruption in the supply chain, there were several FMCG companies that were not able to deliver their goods as their production was interrupted, leading to a shortage of branded goods such as instant noodles. "However, customers were not bothered even if favorite brands were not available and were happy to transition to a private label brand. This gave a lot of boost to private labels whose stocks were available locally and so their supply remained steady without hindrances," he said. The government first imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown on March 24 to curb the spread of coronavirus infections. On April 14, the lockdown was extended till May 3. The government has further extended the lockdown till May 17, but with considerable relaxations based on zones. KRH RKL ABMABM

Lockdown 2.0: Consumers' focus shifts to packaged, high-value food items

New Delhi, Apr 12 () Ahead of extending restrictions on the mobility of goods and persons, the government plans to set up a chain of 20 lakh retail shops called 'Suraksha Stores' across India which will provide daily essentials to citizens while maintaining stringent safety norms. The Suraksha Stores initiative will convert the neighbourhood kirana stores into sanitised retail outlets selling daily essentials while adhering to safety norms such as social distancing and sanitisation to control the spread of the novel coronavirus, sources with direct knowledge of the development said. The government will rope in private firms to implement this plan, which seeks to ensure that proper protocol is followed in the entire supply chain, right from manufacturing units to retail outlets, to combat COVID-19. Consumer Affairs Secretary Pawan Kumar Agarwal has held at least one round of discussions with the top FMCG companies to implement this ambitious plan through public private partnership, the sources said. The government is targeting to earmark 20 lakh retail outlets as 'Suraksha Stores' over the next 45 days. Each FMCG company might be given one or two states to execute this plan in an effective manner and enable every store to fight coronavirus. When contacted, Agarwal said the government is "working" on the 'Suraksha Store' plan but declined to share any detail. To become a 'Suraksha Store', a retail store will have to comply with a health and safety checklist, which includes social distancing of 1.5 metres outside the shop as well as billing counters, use of sanitiser or handwash by consumers before entering shops, provision of masks to all staff and sanitisation of high touch areas twice a day. The 'Suraksha Store' will not only be for groceries but also consumer durables, apparel and salons. A top official at a leading FMCG firm confirmed the development. "The government is planning to create Suraksha Store and Suraksha Circle to ensure hygiene and safety norms across the supply chain. More than 50 top FMCG companies have been approached. We are with the government and we have already given our approval to actively participate in this exercise," said the official, who wished not to be identified. FMCG companies will be asked to provide training and mobilise health kits (masks, gloves and sanitisers) to enable retail outlets to become 'Suraksha Stores', the official said, adding that big industries would similarly help wholesalers and other smaller units. As per the plan, each retail outlet will have to prominently display that it is a 'Suraksha Store' to customers. Educational posters related to hygiene and safety should also be displayed in the store. Similarly, the Consumer Affairs Ministry is working on creating 'Suraksha Circle' where lead manufacturing plants will help their business partners and smaller factories in their vicinity in order to ensure a safe environment across the product supply chain. Each lead manufacturing plant is expected to adopt 10 SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and one village in order to achieve the target to bring 50,000 SMEs and 5,000 communities under Suraksha Circle. According to the plan, an online training certification programme will be created for Suraksha Stores and Suraksha Circle to ensure awareness about COVID-19 protocols for the supply of essential commodities as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). MJH ANZ ABMABM

COVID-19: 'Suraksha Stores' to meet daily needs on anvil

New Delhi, Mar 21 () Walmart India on Saturday said it will close all its stores and fulfilment centres on Sunday from 7 am to 9 pm to comply with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to the nation to observe a 'Janta Curfew' by staying indoors during this time period. Many companies have announced plans to keep their operations closed during these hours as per the government directive, even as a large number of daily wage workers have been deprived of their regular earnings due to the economics disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic."Stores will resume normal operations and re-open for our members at the regular hours on March 23," Walmart India said in a statement. Walmart India said it plays a critical role at this time to ensure that people in the community get continuous supply of essential food and hygiene products. It urged members of its wholesale cash-and-carry stores to make purchases online on our website.Walmart India operates a membership-based B2B wholesale business, where re-sellers, offices, institutions, hotels, restaurants and caterers as well as the army and paramilitary buy essential food and non-food items.Walmart India said it welcomes Prime Minister Modi's appeal for social distancing and will comply with the 'Janta Curfew' announced by the Prime Minister on March 22."In compliance, Walmart India will close all its stores and fulfilment centres during the curfew hours on March 22. In order to ensure minimal disruption in supplies of essential items to the community, Walmart India has added more capacity to service orders that are placed through its website and app for delivery on March 24 and after," it added."We have a critical role to play in the community at this point and we take that most seriously. Walmart India's priorities at this time are to ensure the safety of our associates and customers, and minimise any disruption in the provision of essential items to the members of our community," a spokesperson for Walmart India said.While the members of Best Price cash-and-carry stores will not be able to physically visit stores on Sunday, Walmart India has put in place a series of measures to ensure supply of essentials to consumers in the wake of COVID-19."Our members can continue to place orders on our website without physically visiting the store. Our customer service staff are also being trained to assist more members in making purchases online. We are also reaching out to our members through our sales teams to take orders which can be delivered to them. We believe these efforts will enhance the safety of our customers and also ensure that they continue to get access to essential items safely and conveniently," the spokesperson said."We would also like to express our gratitude to all doctors, nurses, other medical professionals, delivery professionals, government employees, grocery retail staff and all those people in critical jobs that selflessly and relentlessly continue to serve our community in this difficult time," the spokesperson said. KRH BJ MKJ

Walmart to keep all India stores closed for Modi's 'Janta Curfew' call

New Delhi, The Centre on Tuesday announced sale of an additional 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market to further bring down the retail prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta) and asked flour millers to cut rates with softening in wholesale price of grain. On January 25, the Centre had announced sale of 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stock to check rise in prices of wheat and wheat flour (atta). According to an official statement, the government has decided that state-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI) will offload an additional quantity of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in open market under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). The stocks will be sold through e-auction to flour mills/private traders/bulk buyers/manufactures of wheat products. The proposal to sell stocks in the open market was taken by a group of ministers, sources said. "So far, 50 lakh tonnes (30+20 lakh tonnes) of wheat have been decided to be offloaded under the OMSS. The reduction in reserve price along with additional offloading of 20 lakh tonnes of wheat will collectively help in reducing market price of wheat and wheat products for consumers," the statement said. Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra held a video conference meeting with Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the representatives of flour millers/associations/ federations/atta, suji product manufacturers on to review the lifting of stocks in the second round of e-auction held recently. Flour millers were advised to bring down the prices of atta and other products in line with the reduction in market prices of wheat, the statement said. After announcement of the OMSS policy, the food ministry said that prices of wheat and atta have come down but still inflation figure for January 2023 was at 3 months high of 6.52 per cent. As per the government data, the average prices of wheat across major cities stood at Rs 33.15 per kilogram on Monday, while the average prices of atta (wheat flour) stood at Rs 37.63 per kg. Last month, the government announced plans to sell 30 lakh tonnes of wheat in the open market from its buffer stock under the OMSS. Out of the 30 lakh tonnes, the FCI is selling 25 lakh tonnes to bulk consumers like flour millers through e-auction and 2 lakh tonnes to states/Union Territories. Three lakh tonnes of wheat are being provided to institutions and state-PSUs at a concession for converting wheat into wheat flour. In the two rounds of e-auctions for bulk consumers, nearly 13 lakh tonnes wheat have been sold. FCI will offer 11.72 lakh tonnes of wheat during the third e-auction to be held on February 22. Last week, the ministry reduced reserve price of fair and average (FAQ) quality wheat to Rs 2,150 per quintal, while for Under Relaxed Specifications (URS) wheat to Rs 2,125 per quintal. These new reserve prices are applicable from the third sale of wheat through e-auction. Moreover, the rate of wheat has been reduced to Rs 21.50 per kg for sale to NCCF/NAFED/ Kendriya Bhandar/state government cooperatives/federations as well as community kitchen /charitable/NGO etc. for converting wheat into atta and then selling to consumers at Rs 27.50 per kg. To control price, the Centre had banned wheat exports in May last year. India's wheat production fell to 107.74 million tonnes in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June) from 109.59 million tonnes in the previous year due to heat waves in a few growing states. The procurement fell sharply to 19 million tonnes this year from around 43 million tonnes last year. Wheat production is estimated to rise at 112.18 million tonnes in the current 2022-23 crop year on higher acreage and better yield. However, the rise in temperature during this month in key producing states has again become a concern for the farm scientist and policy makers. On Monday, the government formed a committee to monitor the situation arising out of any unusual rise in temperature and its impact on the wheat crop and issue necessary advisories to the farming community to save the crop. The move comes as some parts of the country have started witnessing above-normal temperatures. In the first week of February, the maximum temperature in major wheat growing areas, barring Madhya Pradesh, remained higher than the average of the last seven years, as per the National Crop Forecast Centre (NCFC).

Centre to sell 20 lakh tonnes of wheat in open market from buffer stock to cool prices of atta

<ul><li>There is an increased demand for Korean noodles and more sellers are joining the platform.</li><li>India’s South Korean ramen imports rose from ₹10.44 crore in 2020 to ₹30.63 crore in 2021.</li><li>The surging demand is mainly from Tier 1&amp;2 cities. </li></ul>There is something new on the plate for <keyword id="2884394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="instant-noodle" source="Orion">instant noodle</keyword> lovers in India – ramen from Korea. Long used to the comfort of Maggi and Yippee, Indian consumers are warming up to the spicier noodle options offered by Korean brands like Nongshim, Samyang, <keyword id="14761789" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="paldo" source="Orion">Paldo</keyword> and more as the Korean wave sweeps the nation. Korean ramen is also the latest viral food on Instagram. Influencers are posting reels on social media, reviewing them and jumping on the hallyu which means the Korean wave. GenZs and Millennials cannot get enough of these K-noodles, just like their love for K-dramas and K-pop. “Korean noodles have grown more than the instant noodles category. Most of the demand is coming from the Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities,” said Seshu Kumar Tirumala, national head-buying and merchandising at Bigbasket. However, it is to be noted that Korean instant noodles have a very low base in India, with Nestle’s Maggi and ITC’s Yippee dominating the Indian instant noodles market. <div type="image" title="Korean Noodles" msid="93663312" hostid="261" sizebytes="171884"></div> However, imports of noodles are growing slowly but steadily. India’s South Korean ramen imports rose from ₹10.44 crore in 2020 to ₹30.63 crore in 2021, according to an Economic Times <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/prime/consumer/riding-the-hallyu-wave-how-korean-packaged-food-is-making-its-way-into-indian-homes/primearticleshow/86045707.cms">report</a>. “Korean noodles have seen a growth of 140% over the last year in the Indian market and ramen noodles are contributing to 90% of the overall category on Bigbasket,” said Tirumala. Most of the demand for these niche products seems to be coming from quick commerce players or grocery delivery services as opposed to the traditional kiranas. Apart from quick commerce, specialised K-stores like Seelamart in Delhi, and Korean online retailer korikart.com cater to the buyers in the segment. “Nongshim, Paldo and Samyang are the top Korean ramen sellers in the Indian market,” said Akhil Jetly, assistant manager at Seelamart. A <keyword id="12724311" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="blinkit" source="Orion">Blinkit</keyword> spokesperson says that there has been an increased demand for global cuisine in general and Korean noodles in particular. “Just a year ago, there was hardly any interest in this category but now, the business has been growing about 20% month-on-month. More sellers are joining the platform, and since the market has turned competitive, prices are low,” said Blinkit’s spokesperson. Korean noodles however are pricier than their Indian counterparts – in some cases by as much as 10 times. The cheapest Korean noodles pack costs around ₹50, and goes as high as ₹200. Most of them are in the ₹100-150 range, according to data from wholesalers and retailers. Yet, that hasn’t prevented those who have acquired the taste of K-noodles from digging in and expanding their palate. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tiktoks-in-app-browser-on-ios-includes-code-that-can-monitor-your-keystrokes-and-taps/articleshow/93662878.cms">TikTok’s in-app browser on iOS includes code that can monitor your keystrokes and taps</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/there-is-a-yawning-gap-between-the-confidence-of-consumers-and-businesses/articleshow/93662752.cms">There is a yawning gap between the confidence of consumers and businesses</a>

Beyond the squid game: Indian taste seekers are warming up to K-noodles

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Robinson-Patman Act prohibits price discrimination against small business.</li><li>It was enacted to overcome ambiguity in the Sherman Act of 1890 and the Clayton <keyword id="11956286" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="antitrust" source="Orion">Antitrust</keyword> Act of 1914.</li><li>The principal criticism of Robinson-Patman is that it protects competitors instead of encouraging and maintaining competition.</li></ul>The Robinson-Patman Act <a href="https://legaldictionary.net/robinson-patman-act/">was enacted in 1936</a> to protect small retailers from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-big-tech-bills-facebook-google-apple-amazon-antitrust-2021-6#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unfair competition by larger retailers</a>, mostly through volume discounts from manufacturers. For this reason it's sometimes called the "Anti Chain Store Act."The Act applies only to physical items of the same quality and prevents large retailers from gaining an advantage over independent stores buying the same products. Wholesalers supported enactment of the Robinson-Patman Act since it prevented large retailers from buying directly from manufacturers at deep discounts, a move that cut wholesalers out completely. The legislation's main purpose was to overcome ambiguous language in antitrust <keyword id="11899820" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="law" source="Orion">law</keyword> at the time, specifically the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sherman-antitrust-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890</a> and the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914.<h2>What does the Robinson-Patman Act do? </h2>In simple terms, the Robinson-Patman Act says manufacturers (sellers) must charge retailers (buyers) the same prices when selling identical products at the same time in the same geographic area. There are exceptions, and the law is complicated - so complicated that some critics, including the Federal <a href="https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/amc/report_recommendation/letter_to_president.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antitrust Modernization Commission</a>, have called for its repeal.Note: In his book, "<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1599462?read-now=1&amp;seq=1#page_scan_tab_contentsents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Antitrust Paradox</a>," former Solicitor General, Robert Bork argues that the Robinson-Patman actually protects less-efficient competitors rather than consumers.<h3>Legal tests</h3>To be considered price discrimination under the Robinson Patman Act the claim must meet specific legal tests:<ul><li>The claim must refer to commodities, not services, and to purchases, not leases.</li><li>The goods must be of "like grade and quality."</li><li>There must be likely injury to competition.</li><li>The sales must involve interstate (across a state line) commerce.</li></ul><h3>Types of injury</h3>Enforceable Robinson-Patman violations resulting in competitive injury may happen in one of two ways:Primary line injury. This type of competitive injury occurs when one manufacturer reduces its prices in a specific geographic market and causes injury to its competitors in the same market. Secondary line injury. This type of injury happens when favored customers (retailers) of a supplier (manufacturer) are given a price advantage over competing customers.<h3>Criminal penalties</h3><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/13a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 3 of the Robinson-Patman Act</a> authorizes the government to seek criminal penalties against any entity that knowingly discriminates against a competitor of a purchaser or charges "unreasonably low prices" or different prices in a different part of the United States "for the purpose of destroying competition or eliminating a competitor."<h3>Enforcement</h3><a href="https://content.next.westlaw.com/0-502-0837?__lrTS=20200805141029182&amp;transitionType=Default&amp;contextData=(sc.Default)&amp;firstPage=truerstPage=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enforcement of Robinson-Patman</a> is the responsibility of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). That said, most successful lawsuits today are between private parties.Note: Enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act is rare.<a href="https://www.markhamlawfirm.com/law-articles/unlawful-price-discrimination-an-obscure-antitrust-offense-by-william-markham-2013/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enforcement can happen</a> through any of the following:FTC Proceedings. The FTC can conduct administrative proceedings and, if warranted, levy injunctive relief and civil penalties.Treble Damages. In a private action, a plaintiff can seek treble (triple) damages and attorney's fees based on lost profits.Attorney's Fees. If successful, the plaintiff (retailer) can recover attorney's fees but if the defendant prevails, they cannot recover their attorney's fees from the plaintiff unless the lawsuit is judged "frivolous."Criminal prosecution. In rare cases, the Justice Department can, theoretically at least, prosecute criminal claims for price discrimination. A prosecution of this type has never been successful in US courts.<h2>Who created the Robinson-Patman Act? </h2>The Robinson-Patman Act is <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/us-history/robinson-patman-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named for its co-sponsors</a>, Senator Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas and Representative Wright Patman of Texas, both Democrats. The legislation was meant to be a correction and amplification of sparse anti-price discrimination language in Section 2 of the Clayton Act of 1914. Robinson, Patman, and other proponents saw the sheer size of chain stores like A&amp;P and Sears, Roebuck as giving them too much of an edge over smaller stores because their scale enabled them to negotiate lower prices for goods along with rebates and other types of pricing concessions. The legislation's supporters believed the sparse language in the Clayton Act was not sufficient to combat what they saw as these unfair advantages enjoyed by chains.<h2>Key provisions of the Robinson-Patman Act: </h2>The main focus of the Act is to protect small businesses by requiring suppliers to sell to them for the same price they charge larger companies.A comparison of the provisions of both the <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/us-history/clayton-antitrust-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clayton</a> and<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/13" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Robinson-Patman Acts</a> shows how the Robinson-Patman Act expands on the Clayton Act:<table><tbody><tr><td><h3>Clayton Antitrust Act</h3></td><td><h3>Robinson-Patman Act</h3></td></tr><tr><td>Bans price discrimination.</td><td>Prohibits price discrimination against buyers.</td></tr><tr><td>Bans tying (requiring buyers to purchase additional goods) and exclusive dealing.</td><td>Allows sellers an affirmative defense based on competitive pricing. (See below)</td></tr><tr><td>Expands the power of private parties to sue and seek treble (triple) damages.</td><td>Prohibits sellers from paying commission and buyers from accepting the same.</td></tr><tr><td>Declares strikes, boycotts, and labor unions legal.</td><td>Prohibits sellers from paying buyers for services or facilities.</td></tr><tr><td>Bans anti-competitive mergers.</td><td>Prohibits sellers from discriminating against buyers on items bought for resale.</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Prohibits sellers and buyers from knowingly offering or receiving a discriminatory price.</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Prohibits discrimination in rebates, discounts, or advertising service charges or underselling in particular localities.</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Allows cooperative associations to return net earnings to members, producers, or consumers.</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Allows pending litigation prior to enactment of the Robinson-Patman Act to proceed.</td></tr></tbody></table>The affirmative defense noted above has four parts. A charge of price discrimination cannot be enforced against a seller if:<ul><li>Volume discounts are attributable solely to lower per-unit production and shipping costs - that is, if it is cheaper per unit for the manufacturer to make and send 100 widgets than just 20 widgets to a retailer.</li><li>Price differences are the result of a response to changing conditions affecting the market for or marketability of the goods concerned, such as if demand has decreased significantly.</li><li>The discriminatory pricing is offered "in good faith to meet an equally low price of a competitor."</li><li>The advantageous price was practically or functionally available to the disfavored buyer.Note: Exemptions to the provisions of the Robinson-Patman Act include some sales involving the government, non-profits, or cooperative associations.</li></ul><h2>Notable cases involving the Robinson-Patman Act </h2>In 2010, Spartan Concrete, which operated on St. Croix, one of the US Virgin Islands, <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca3/18-1942/18-1942-2019-07-05.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tried to displace a competitor</a>, Heavy Materials, as the sole provider of ready-mix concrete on St. Thomas Island. Both companies dealt with the same wholesale concrete distributor, Argos. After an unsuccessful three-year price war, Spartan agreed to leave St. Thomas. Shortly thereafter it sued Argos, complaining the wholesaler gave Heavy Metals a 10% discount but refused to extend the same discount to Spartan. "Although the case actually went to a bench trial, the trial court still granted a directed verdict in the defendant's favor based on the plaintiff's failure to prove antitrust injury," says Henry Su, a partner at the law firm Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, who notes that most Robinson-Patman cases never make it as far as a trial. "The case illustrates how difficult it has been for Robinson-Patman plaintiffs to link the challenged business practices to some harm to competition."Although seldom enforced today, in part due to the problems illustrated by the case above, there have been notable Robinson-Patman actions over the years:<h3>FTC v. Morton Salt</h3>In 1948, the <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/334/37/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> upheld the FTC's enforcement of the Act finding that Morton Salt violated Robinson-Patman when it sold its finest "Blue Label" salt on a supposedly standard discount that was available only to five national chains. The court ruled that Morton Salt was in violation and issued a cease and desist order.<h3>Lewis v. Texaco</h3>In 1976, <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/496/543/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a dozen Texaco retailers</a> in Spokane, Washington sued Texaco and won damages of $449,000, which were tripled under provisions of Robinson-Patman. The suit charged that Texaco made a practice of selling gasoline at one price to retailers and a lower price to wholesalers. When those wholesalers went into the retail business, they obtained gasoline for their retail stations at the wholesaler discount, a violation of the Act.<h3>American Booksellers v. Houghton Mifflin</h3>In 1994, the <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/135/1031/2503184/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Booksellers Association</a> and independent bookstores suedpublishers including Houghton Mifflin Company and Penguin USA, claiming they violated Robinson-Patman by offering "more advantageous promotional allowances and price discounts" to "certain large national chains and buying clubs." The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/19/business/booksellers-end-3-year-lawsuit.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publishers agreed</a> to offer the same prices and discounts to all bookstores as a result of the lawsuit.<h2>The financial takeaway</h2>Despite the fact that the Robinson-Patman Act is rarely enforced, it remains law and most recently has been the focus of a group known as the Main Street Competition Coalition which has urged the FTC to bring Robinson-Patman action against large chains and business entities.<a href="https://ncpa.org/sites/default/files/2021-10/MSCC_FTC-Letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In a letter to the FTC</a> the coalition says: "As a result of unprecedented levels of concentration, small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly subject to discriminatory terms and conditions, including less favorable pricing and price terms, less favorable supply, less favorable retail packaging, and sometimes an inability to access products in short supply that are available to their competitors."Su is skeptical, saying: "In my view, the only way this can and will change is if a complainant presents the FTC with the rudiments of a potential Robinson-Patman Act case against a large retailer for further investigation and possible enforcement. Simply generally calling for the agency to use its enforcement authority, which it has always had, is not going to shift the considerable momentum that has developed over the past several decades favoring industry guidance over enforcement."<a data-type="61731124adb1a62a3d136b51">The Federal Trade Commission Act sets the guidelines underpinning the FTC's consumer-protection enforcement</a><a data-type="61571b7420f0987425517222">What is economic surplus and how does it work?</a><a data-type="617049e864d7297c4107f879">Understanding fiscal policy: The use of government spending and taxation to manage the economy</a><a data-type="6143817b5b926a5dd93d7aa5">Purchase power is a measure of what your money can buy - here's how it can impact your finances</a>

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