Few days back, I visited a retail outlet which was recently launched, and opened to customer traffic. Having been associated with two Hypermarket launches during the initial years of my retail career, it was a nostalgic moment.
The thrill of few sleepless nights, ensuring that shelves are adequately stocked, promotions have been planned and implemented effectively, ensuring that sufficient stocks are available, are some of the key challenges for a store launch. Such thrill and excitement cannot be matched to anything, and is an amazing experience.
And over the years, retailers have brought in impeccable planning processes which have almost weeded out the eleventh hour glitches, but nothing prepares one for facing an irate customer, or a law and order situation or dealing with local government authorities. Retail equips and empowers store personnel to think on their feet, and this learning is priceless. People management is one of the key drivers of retail business, and it comes naturally to retailers.
And I take immense pride in the fact that I belong to the same flock.
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