Hi Jocelyn, The questions have been asked by somebody who is a professor teaching in a university in Germany. I have been involved with retail since 1986 and accept the challenges (problem is a word I don't like, though habits die hard) The challenges are opportunities for those who look at them from another perspective. * Tax System in our country Freedom of movement of goods across states within INDIA is a necessity C.S.T needs to be abolished- our govt. is working towards it. Octroi exists in only few states, thus making the cost differ across states. Vat charged across various states is not allowed as input credit, if not paid in the state you are registered. The above means if we are retailing in Mumbai and our vendor is in Mumbai, the octroi and C.S.T are not applicable and the vat charged by the vendor can be claimed back. While if our vendor is in Delhi, the entire equation changes. The repercussions of this our huge and affect us in so many ways, so consumers also needs to be aware of this, besides the govt. The paper work involved also increases substantially. * Trained Staff Retail is the most challenging industry, at the same time the best place for students to do part time jobs, summer jobs. Spending few years behind retail counters can teach you a lot. Tolerance Values Respect Observation Skills Discipline Team Work Initiative Multi Tasking I would recommend it for all, rather compulsory, need of the hour. At the other end a retailer cannot wait for changes in society. We need to evolve/learn at a faster pace. * Educating the customer This is one topic, which I can go on and on. It would be interesting to hear others views about the same. * Lack of Industry Status The govt. will look at retail as a separate entity. * Lack of Financial Support. Special packages for finance/loans (Tenure- 10 years or more) Loans/Mortgages available for buying commercial property * Complicated Licensing Structure Single window required for all licenses/registrations/certificates required by the retail industry. * Lack of Single Trademark for Retail. Currently trademarks are required in 24 Categories. Private Reply to Tribal Route | 
