The most talked,hated about union between Wal-Mart Inc and Bharati of India has started on its trip.
Executives from U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart toured Indian stores on Thursday as they work on a deal that could change the face of the country’s $300 billion retail sector and has sparked fears of mass job losses.
In New Delhi, over 100 demonstrators waving banners and shouting slogans marched on government buildings to protest against the entry of the world’s largest retailer into India.
Some broke through police barricades and burnt an effigy of a dummy with “Wal-Mart Down” scrawled on it.
“Go back Wal-Mart,” protesters shouted, waving placards saying: “Save Small Retailers”.
Wal-Mart and Bharti plan a joint venture for cash-and-carry in a retail sector that is dominated by small family-run stores. The sector is forecast to more than double by 2015, and has attracted the interest of other top global retailers such as Tesco Plc. and Carrefour.
Small shopkeepers fear Wal-Mart could put many of an estimated 40 million Indians who depend on retail out of work.
Globalization side effects Huh?
February 26, 2007 at 2:42 am |
“Small shopkeepers fear Wal-Mart could put many
of an estimated 40 million Indians who depend
on retail out of work.”
What a great ill effect of Gobalisation if the above turns into
reality. What happens to this total wo million people if it really
throws then out of gear.
wish let it not happen to this scale of treatening the total retail
business in this country
February 26, 2007 at 3:29 am |
similar discussions – plus those on traffic congestion – have been playing around the usa for several decades now. and wal*mart keeps rolling right along. it is quite ironic that the very people who cry out about traffic congestion form the long queues at wal*mart daily and especially during thanksgiving sales. my advice to money mavens – buy up some bharti stock right now, and let medha patkar and arundhati roy worry about job losses (only as long as they themselves are not shopping walmart on they sly).
but realistically speaking, i wonder how well walmart will really do in india. from what i (think i) read, they did not do too well in – was it china? on the other hand, the current megamarts might become history once walmart comes in – ex., vishal, fabmall, etc.
- s.b.
February 26, 2007 at 4:38 am |
praneshachar and Somebody,
Yes. Hope it does not happen in India. We normally dont buy in huge quantities like in USA but still the price differentiater is allways there as a stimulant. Obviously smaller ones are getting closed.