RETAIL IN INDIA: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Retailing provides a crucial link between producers and consumers in a modern market economy. The performance of this sector has a strong influence on consumer welfare. Retailers not only provide consumers with a wide variety of products, but also a wide range of complementary services (such as assurance of product delivery), which can lead to more informed choice and greater convenience in shopping. They also provide producers with much needed information on consumers demand pattern. Productivity and efficiency in retail operations lowers price level and reduce distortions in the price structure. Through backward and forward linkage, performance of retailing services affects the performance of interlinked sectors such as tourism, recreational and cultural services, manufacturing of consumers goods agro-good producing industries etc.The present paper is an attempt to explore retailing in India in Historical persepective