INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Sales representatives across the nation have threatened to interrupt supplies to arrangement storesHousehold goods salesmen in India have
threatened to interrupt materials to mom-and-pop shops if consumer companies supply items at lower prices to Reliance Industries, according
to a letter seen by Reuters.Reuters reported last month Indian salespersons representing companies such as Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever and
Colgate-Palmolive said their sales had dropped 20-25 percent in the in 2015 as mom-and-pop stores were progressively partnering with
billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance.Mr Ambani's deeply reduced offerings were prompting more shops to purchase their digitally from his
JioMart Partner app, presenting an existential hazard to more than 450,000 business salespersons who for decades served every corner of the
vast nation by going store-to-store to take orders.Citing the Reuters story, the All India Customer Products Distributors Federation - which
has 400,000 members - has actually written to consumer companies demanding a level playing field, stating they must get products at exact
same rates like other big corporate distributors such as Reliance.If the pricing-parity need is not met, the group said in its letter, its
salesmen will stop circulation of items to mom-and-pop shops, and will also not supply newly introduced durable goods if such partnerships
continue beyond January 1, 2022
We have actually earned reputation and goodwill amongst our retailers by providing good service for several years
We have decided to call a 'non-cooperation' motion, stated the letter.The group's president, Dhairyashil Patil, said the letter was sent
out to Reckitt, Hindustan Unilever, Colgate and 20 other durable goods companies.None of the three customer companies, in addition to
Reliance, reacted to ask for remark
Mom-and-pop stores, or kiranas , account for 80 percent of a near-$900 billion retail market in India.About 300,000 such stores in 150
cities order items from Reliance, with the company setting a target of 10 million partner stores by 2024
Standard suppliers have actually told Reuters they have been forced to cut car fleet and personnel as their business has been suffering
since they can't match Reliance's rates
Jefferies in March estimated kiranas will steadily increase the share of procurement from Reliance at the expense of conventional
suppliers Such sales for Reliance might mushroom to $10.4 billion by 2025 from just $200 million in 2021-22, Jefferies estimates.
