Expatiates the importance of rural retailing in India- an overview

The Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to marketers. Two third of countries consumers live in rural areas, and almost half of the national income is generated here. The present paper depicts that the importance of rural retailing in India, an overwhelming majority lives in rural areas; retailers are fast penetrating the interland. Rural India is experiencing the same changes as urban India- changing consumer preferences and consumer's consumption patterns, increasing exposure to different life styles and products, and increasing purchasing power. As much as rural India presents a great opportunity to retailers, there are still many challenges that have to be overcome. This study reveals that the major retailer features in the Big Bazaar, Spencer's, Haryali Kisan Bazaar, Khushali Bazaar and others. This paper emphasized on the analysis of opportunities, challenges and means to overcome these challenges.