Best Price Modern Wholesale
Wal-Mart Opens Shop in India
Wal-Mart has long been a source of controversy, but the July opening of the chain's first store in India was greeted relatively warmly and drew huge crowds in its opening days, the Washington Post reports.
Wal-Mart India isn't the same as the American version. The store goes by the name Best Price Modern Wholesale, which reflects the fact that Wal-Mart India is a joint venture with Indian business conglomerate Bharti Enterprises. Another difference is that the store is open only to wholesale customers like hotel and restaurant owners, and their friends and family. Time reports that India's commercial laws prevent international retailers from directly competing with domestic businesses.
The flagship store is located in Amritsar, in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab. The arrival of Wal-Mart has created curiosity and interest, which the Washington Post highlights through one customer's reaction:
"In Punjabi, we have an expression: When there is a wedding, everyone flocks to see the new bride," said Kamal Gambhir, a wholesaler whose congested offices are located in this city's oldest bazaar. "I myself had returned from a trip and came back to hear little children asking, 'Where is the new Wal-Mart?' I told them it's on our most historic road."
As the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart has raised concerns in India about the store's consequences for smaller retailers and the vendors found in community markets. According to American Public Media's "Marketplace," some worry Wal-Mart's presence will raise business owners' profits while less-connected and poorer members of society are hurt by the new competition.
Wal-Mart says it will build 10 to 15 stores in India over the next three years.
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