Surviving COVID-19: Now, Transform Kirana Stores into Supermarkets in Just 24 Hours

In a webinar organised by ETRetail, Arvind Mediratta – MD and CEO, METRO Cash and Carry India, talks about the current mPOS adoption in the Indian retail industry, the pace of adoption, the investment it requires, staff training and the return on investments for the retailers…

With modern retail and e-commerce accounting for only 10 and 2 percent respectively, kirana stores still dominate the food and grocery market in India. The 12 million neighbourhood kirana stores in India have now emerged as the new heroes, as the quest for essential items become hassle some due to lockdown restrictions. Traditional kirana owners are smart businesspersons with an innate sense and intuition of the trade, and an unparalleled competence of low-cost operations. But with changing times, the kirana eco-system in India is been marred by a slew of challenges – right from operational, demand, and supply challenges to competition posed by e-commerce players and growing organised retail.