Pre-Booking Suspended
Reliance Industries has suspended the pre-booking of its newly-launched 4G VoLTE feature phone until further notice, according to a report.
The move comes as the demand for the Jio Phone has exceeded the target of five million phones per week. The firm said that customers can register but cannot pre-book the phone.
Airtel Eyes Smartphone
A new smartphone costing Rs 2,500 is being planned by Bharti Airtel to take on Reliance Jio for a share of the mass subscriber base, says a report.
Airtel is already in advanced talks with handset makers and is hoping to launch the product around Diwali. The telecom firm will also offer large amounts of data and voice minutes to battle Jio. It will be based on the Android operating system.
Patanjali Facing Competition
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is launching around 1,000 stores to sell ayurvedic toothpastes, soaps and other products, according to a report.
This will pose a challenge to the already established Patanjali empire of Baba Ramdev. Other products to be sold include ghee, cookies and detergents. Clinics and treatment centres will also be launched, similar to the ones by Patanjali.
Online Store Boost
Shoppers Stop is set to sell food and books by the next fiscal year as it gears up to open its electronic commerce platform in October, reveals a report.
The retailer will add its grocery mart HyperCity and book and toy store Crossword online next fiscal. This will be in addition to its range of clothes, perfumes and accessories which will go online in October.
Lower Mobile Bills
Mobile bills are likely to fall further in the future as the price war heats up in the telecom industry, according to a report.
Industry sources and analysts predict a 25-30 per cent fall in tariffs over the next year. The gains could be bigger for heavy consumers of data. Over the past year, prices have fallen 25-32% in tariffs and 60-70% for heavy consumers of data.
Celine Enters Market
Luxury fashion house Celine has entered the Indian market through a partnership with Le Mill, says a report.
The company’s products, which include ready-to-wear, leather goods and its Fall/Winter collection, will be available exclusively at Le Mill, a company statement said.
Coke, Pepsi blow
The factories of soft drink giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are running about half their capacities, reflecting a change in consumer preferences, according to a report.
Currently, the aerated drinks market is facing its worst slowdown as consumers prefer non-sugary health beverages. The plants are running at about 40% capacity.
Brand Key For Women
Brand image and product performance are key factors for women car buyers in India, says a report, quoting a study.
The study, conducted by Singapore-based PremonAsia, said that colour was not an important factor for women. It said women owners across 28 cities in the country taking part in the study, preferred Honda, Volkswagen and Nissan as top brands. Honda topped on product ownership while Volkswagen on brand image and Nissan on after-sales service, says the study.
Sales Up At Outlets
Demand for smartphones in brick-and-mortar outlets have picked up after a gap of almost three years after steep discounts on e-commerce sites have been abating over the years, says a report.
Leading brick-and-mortar retailers like Sangeetha Mobiles, Big C, Hotspot, lot Mobile and Mobility World have reported that sales have been growing 60-70% since January. However, mobile phone sales have remained stagnant at 33% on e-commerce sites like Amazon and Flipkart.
US Label’s Plan
Abercrombie & Fitch is planning to launch its flagship label as well as Hollister in India, reveals a report.
The US-based youth brand is joining other top global labels who are tapping the Indian market to overcome the slowdown in their own markets. The firm is in talks with firms to open its outlets and give their online rights to them.
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