Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Newsletter/Consumer_Market.aspx
Consumer Markets
February 2009
From around India
Biyani slows expansion plans
Pantaloon Retail, which houses the Future Group's main
formats such as Big Bazaar, Pantaloons, Food Bazaar and
Central, had plans for a total space of 14.69 million sq ft
by financial year 2009 and 19.25 million by FY10,
according to analysts tracking the company. Now,
Pantaloon Retail is expected to end its ongoing financial
year, which ends on June 30, with a total space of 12
million square feet.
Retail loan rates may dip to 3-yr low on cooling
inflation
This is expected to spur demand in housing and other
rate-sensitive sectors such as automobiles. It would also
help provide some support to declining demand as it could
increase consumption in general.
India auto sales slide 7.4 per cent in January
India's auto sector skidded into deeper trouble in January,
with domestic vehicle sales falling 7.4 per cent from a
year ago to 768,622 units as tight credit and slowing
growth dampened demand, an industry body said
Monday.
LG plans to double handsets mkt share
LG lords over 27 per cent of the Rs 32,000-crore per
annum Indian consumer electronics market. Starting from
scratch about 12 years ago, it now enjoys almost
universal brand recall in the country.

Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Newsletter/Consumer_Market.aspx
Kingston records impressive growth in 08, charts
plans for 09
Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent
world leader in memory products, announced impressive
2008 business growth in India, recording over 300%
growth in
Bajaj to launch KTM bike by mid-2009
for Bajaj Auto, excitement with the niche high-end bikes
will begin in mid-May, when the Kawasaki Ninja 250R is
expected to hit the roads. Its price tag is expected to be
in the range of Rs 2.5-3 lakh, company officials said.
Hyundai launches new Verna in 4 variants
The new Verna range includes two petrol variants - 1.6
VTVT & 1.6 SX VTVT - and two diesel variants - 1.5 CRDi
VGT & 1.5 SX CRDi VGT.
IDFC Mutual Fund launches India GDP Growth Fund
The scheme aims to capture the growth in India's Gross
Domestic Product (GDP). The scheme would endeavour to
represent the growth in GDP by capturing the growth in
the constituents of the GDP.
Beam Global launches premium single malt whisky
Ardmore
Ardmore will be available at general liquor shops in Delhi,
Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai to begin with and will be
priced between Rs 2,800 and Rs 3,500, the company said
in a statement.
Household structures in India
Nuclear, joint or extended families? Which segment
dominates and what are the trends?

Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Newsletter/Consumer_Market.aspx
The bulk of Indian households in both rural and urban
areas are nuclear. Extended families (where parents stay
with a married child) are the next in importance – fastest
growing segment. Large joint families are an insignificant
percentage. The trends indicate rising share of extended
families, which are likely to have far reaching implications
on consumer behaviour.
The bulk of Indian households in both rural and urban
areas are nuclear Extended families (where parents stay
with a married child) are the next in importance – fastest
growing segment
Large joint families are an insignificant percentage
Know about Indicus Products here
Bleak near term outlook for
Commercial Vehicles
The SIAM Conclave in February revealed the bleak outlook
for commercial vehicles. Things are expected to get worse
in the near term. Some takeaways –

Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Newsletter/Consumer_Market.aspx
Booz & Co – Base forecast for Medium and Heavy CVs –
unit sales to dip from 260,000 units in 2008 to 180,000 in
2009 before a slow recovery to 250,000 in 2012
ICICI Bank – All CVs unit sales expected to dip from
488,000 in 2007-08 to 368,000 in 2008-09 and
recovering to 490,000 in 20010-11.
Industry expects HCVs and MCVs to lead the downturn
to display
and only SCVs and LCVs are expected
positive growth.
HT Covers Indicus Consumer Handbook

Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Newsletter/Consumer_Market.aspx
Insights from Indicus
Delusional about growth!
Rate cuts
Cap on the number of Ultra Mega Power Plant (UMPP)
licences: Defies the logic of the market
Continuing Opportunities in the Indian Financial Sector
Consumer Demography and Markets in Top cities of India
Monetary policy in uncharted territory
“Clean” Coal for power generation
Middle and lower middle income segment is driving
housing demand
From around the world
Barclays’ stressed assets rise in India
The Indian unit of Barclays Plc., the third biggest UK bank
by assets, is facing pressure from increasing bad debt
that’s pushed up the British bank’s impairment charges for
2008.
Consumer Confidence Index Hits Historic Lows
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which
had decreased in December, inched further downward in
January and remains at a historic low of 37.7
(1985=100), down from (an upwardly revised) 38.6 in
December
Consumer confidence among upstate New Yorkers
rose for the fourth consecutive month in January
\"Buoyed by the new administration's commitment to
economic stimulus as well as advertisers' sales drumbeat,
current consumer confidence climbed cautiously this
month among increasingly resigned New Yorkers,\" said

Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Newsletter/Consumer_Market.aspx
Douglas Lonnstrom, SRI's founding director, in a news
release.
Jobs: Map shows states hit hardest; forecasts for
rebound
Every U.S. state and 95% of the nation's metropolitan
areas will end 2009 with fewer jobs than they started
with, while only two sectors — education and health
services, and government — will add workers.
Consumer buying makes up 70 percent of economy
The rate has wavered. In 1929, the year the Great
Depression began, consumer spending was nearly 75
percent of the nation's economy, a share that grew to 83
percent in 1932 as business spending shrank
Consumers Still Buying Green Through Economic
Changes
Most consumers have not cut back their spending on
green products, according to a new survey.