Vijay Bhupathiraju

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a fundamental shift in the way customers make their retail payments, particularly in the emerging economies like India. Though customers were slowly marching towards digital payments over the past few years, the COVID-19 crisis...

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is grabbing every single opportunity, be it collaborating with technology companies, acquiring leading retailers or adding physical stores or its entry into the online retail space for gaining access to advanced technologies, to gain a...

The apparel segment continues to be the worst hit in retail due to COVID-19 as store closures and virus-wary consumers’ have severely dented the seasonal spending. Furthermore, the rising unemployment and threat of a global recession will exacerbate the...

The COVID-19 crisis has led to the temporary closure of most shopping malls not only in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) but also globally amid the lockdown measures. With the situation easing and shopping centers beginning to reopen, the visitors’ number...

The need to maintain social distance and stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly forcing consumers across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region to shift their shopping habits online. Therefore, contactless deliveries are ideal during lockdown measures, forcing...

Forecasts suggest that COVID-19 will wipe off US$297bn from the global apparel market in 2020, a 15.2 percent decline on 2019. The US (largest apparel market) will account for 42 percent of all lost spend, which will contribute to...

The COVID-19 lockdown and the disruption to retail is expected to wipe off ¥3.0 trillion (US$420bn) from China’s retail market in 2020, causing a 1.8 percent fall in retailer sales in 2020 over 2019. This compares with pre-COVID growth...

On the back of intensifying competition in the retail industry, customers have become more demanding when it comes to convenience and the shopping experience, as they know that they can always switch to another retailer for buying goods if...

In January 2020, India’s Commerce and Industry Ministry proposed plans to limit duty free alcohol and cigarettes sales to inbound travellers – limit on alcohol bottles would be reduced to one bottle or one litre from the current two...