West Bengal is a Marxist bastion still. What you have today in West Bengal is a free market economy with a socialist framework. Digest it. The government is of the opinion that just as it it its duty to garner land for private factories, it is also its duty to decide which flavor of capitalism is right for Kolkata, Siliguri, Durgapur and Asansol. The fragmented $350 billion retail industry of India is forecast to double by 2015, cause of the the entry of large local and foreign companies. Today, modern retail makes up only about 3 percent now. It now remains to be seen to what extent the West Bengal government will decide on the big national and foreign players and what handles it will have on them. Talking about grocery stores in Indian states, grocery stores in West Bengal are in all 18 districts namely Kolkata, Bankura, Birbhum, Burdwan, Coochbehar, Darjeeling, Hoogly, Howrah, Jalpaiguri, Malda, Midnapore, Murshidabad, Nadia, Purulia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur. Traditional as well as modernized grocery stores do well all over Bengal. Bengalis like their good as fresh as they be, like the Gujaratis and make many trips to the market place.
However in another development, Reliance Retail sacked 400 staff in West Bengal after its inability to start retail operations in Kolkata due to stiff opposition from some political parties and local traders. The company felt that due to the strong opposition by some political parties it was not possible to open the stores here. Recently activists hailing from a political party ransacked a store in the Burrabazar area. Since then the company had decided to go slow in starting its retail operations. Grocery stores in West Bengal can heave a sigh of relief.
The company had hired about 800 people in West Bengal for Reliance Fresh outlets which were to come up in and around Kolkata. A source in Reliance Retail said the company has terminated the services of 400 people and another 300 may be given the pink slip soon. The development in West Bengal comes on the heels of the company facing similar protests from traders and political parties in Orissa and Uttar Pradesh.
Although the state government thought of providing police protection to run the store, the source said it was not possible to run retail stores under police vigil. This is ironically good news for grocery stores in West Bengal.
Reliance Retail, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, had planned to put in 20 billion rupees in six processing centers, nine distribution and 23 collection centres and 145 grocery stores in West Bengal. The company is understood to have put its plans in Uttar Pradesh in the cold storage, and is also believed to be rethinking its strategy in Orissa.
Presently, retail in Kolkata consists of C3, Food Bazaar and Big Bazaar and Spencer's in Hypermarkets, Supermarkets and Food and fashion. In Kolkata, the up-market localities are Salt Lake ( with City Center shopping Mall), Kankurgachi ( Pantaloon sister company of Big Bazaar ), Alipore and New Alipore ( Food Bazaar, Metropolis, Big Bazaar ), Gariahat ( with Westside and Big Bazaar ) and the shopping Mecca – downtown Kolkata, comprising of Esplanade, Chowringhee, Minto Park, Camac Street, Theater Road and Gurusaday Road.
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