All posts tagged: Retail

Live larvae, cockroach infestation: Why Blinkit, Reliance Retail facilities are under scanner

Live larvae, cockroach infestation: Why Blinkit, Reliance Retail facilities are under scanner

Published by Parlour News

A Reliance Retail outlet in Maharashtra’s Buldhana and a Blinkit facility in Mumbai’s Malad (West) came under scrutiny as the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stepped up its state-wide enforcement of food safety practices. Worms were found in ‘Laxmi Narayan’ brand of packaged ‘kaju katli’ kept at the store (Representational Image) While live larvae were allegedly found in a popular sweet variety of the Reliance Retail outlet, severe food safety and hygeine violations were found at the Blinkit facility upon inspection. The violation was found at the Reliance Retail Ltd’s outlet at ARD Cinemall in Buldhana district. The regulatory body said that it acted after receiving a complaint that live larvae were found in ‘Laxmi Narayan’ brand of packaged ‘kaju katli’ kept at the store, news agency PTI reported. Investigation at the outlet found that the complained-about batch, which was manufactured on May 29 and was due to expire on August 29 – was not available at the outlet. However, a food sample was collected from another batch manufactured on July 20 and valid …

AI Shopping Traffic Raises Retail Customer Data Concerns

AI Shopping Traffic Raises Retail Customer Data Concerns

Published by Webster

Retailers have spent years fighting to appear at the top of search results; now they have another gatekeeper to win over as shoppers increasingly ask AI assistants what to buy. The shift is forcing retailers to rethink how their products are discovered online, as AI systems increasingly interpret shopping requests, compare products, and recommend purchases. According to Reuters, many retail companies are responding by optimizing their websites and product information so AI systems can more easily understand and surface their products. But visibility inside an AI response is only half the battle. Retailers also want shoppers to return from AI recommendations to their own sites. These retailers argue that keeping the transaction in-house gives them greater control over the purchase experience and the customer information generated by it. E-commerce retailers also argue that they already have what it takes to handle the sales process efficiently. In a statement cited by Reuters, The Knot’s CEO, Raina Moskowitz, said they “have three decades of data” that can be used to deliver the best experience to customers. That …

Meghalaya is taking its premium Pineapples to Indian markets with new retail partnerships

Meghalaya is taking its premium Pineapples to Indian markets with new retail partnerships

Published by Parlour News

The fourth edition of the Meghalaya Pineapple Festival was inaugurated at Dilli Haat in New Delhi on Friday, with the state government using the three-day event to strengthen market access for pineapple growers through new partnerships with organised retail and digital marketplaces. The festival, organised by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of Meghalaya. The festival, organised by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of Meghalaya, was from July 10 to 12, bringing together farmers, retailers, exporters, food processors, institutional buyers and consumers. The event was inaugurated by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region and Communications Jyotiraditya M Scindia in the presence of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, senior government officials, industry representatives, exporters, retailers and farmer collectives from across the state. MoUs signed with Flipkart and NeML A key highlight of the inauguration was the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Flipkart and the National E-Market Services Limited (NeML). According to the organisers, the agreements are aimed at expanding marketing and distribution channels for Meghalaya’s pineapple …

NPPA fixes retail prices of 39 new drug formulations under DPCO to improve affordability

NPPA fixes retail prices of 39 new drug formulations under DPCO to improve affordability

Published by Webster

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has fixed the retail prices of 39 new drug formulations under the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013. The notification, issued on July 8, covers medicines used to treat a range of medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, HIV, heart disease and eye infections. The move is aimed at ensuring that the prices of newly approved formulations remain regulated and affordable for patients. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Tomato prices firm up as heat damages summer crop

Tomato prices firm up as heat damages summer crop

Published by Parlour News

Tomato Prices Rise Due to Weather Conditions New Delhi: Tomato prices are rising again after excessive heat damaged the summer crop in key producing regions, tightening supplies during the lean season. Experts expect prices to remain firm through July and August as delayed kharif sowing is likely to postpone fresh arrivals. India News Retail tomato prices have risen 16% over the past month and 23% from a year earlier, according to data from the consumer affairs ministry. The average retail price stood at ₹42.5 per kg on June 30. The pressure is also visible in wholesale markets, where prices are up 18% month-on-month and 28% year-on-year, indicating that higher procurement costs could continue to push up retail prices in the coming weeks. “Prices in major centres are up between 30% and 50% owing to excessive heat that hit the crop in the months of February and March. Further, higher crude prices due to the West Asia war are adding to the logistics cost,” said Sanjay Gupta, managing director and chief executive officer of National Commodities …

Iran war effect starts to wane as strong retail consumer spending data in May raises hopes

Iran war effect starts to wane as strong retail consumer spending data in May raises hopes

Published by Parlour News

The U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in May, showing that people are still spending money even with high prices, according to the Commerce Department. Households spent more on motor vehicles, even though they were paying higher prices for gasoline during the same period. US retail sales rise in May as Iran war impact fades. (Unsplash/ Representative image) (Unsplash) Experts said this strength in spending may slow down later because tax refunds are reducing and prices are still high, as per the report by Reuters. Job growth has also improved recently, which together with strong sales shows the economy is still resilient even after the oil price shock. Strong spending trend The Federal Reserve is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate in the 3.50% to 3.75% range in its meeting, but may remove its earlier “easing bias”. Economist Scott Anderson from BMO Capital Markets said strong May sales and faster spending could worry the Fed as it tries to control inflation pressures, as reported by Reuters. The Commerce department’s census bureau said that …

Retail inflation at 16-month high of 3.9% as food items get dearer

Retail inflation at 16-month high of 3.9% as food items get dearer

Published by Parlour News

The increase in retail inflation can be largely attributed to the rise in food prices, with the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) inflation at 4.8% in May 2026, inching up from 4.2% in the previous month. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphotos Retail inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), increased to 3.9% in May as food prices rose, according to data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released on Friday (June 12, 2026). The inflation rate was 3.5% in April. Retail prices moved at the fastest pace since January 2025, when the index increased 4.06%, making the May figure the highest in 16 months. The headline numbers had reduced since October 2024, when the inflation was over 6%. By October 2025, it had almost stagnated. From November 2025, retail inflation started rising due to the low base and now, it is just 0.07% short of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s target inflation rate of 4%. The higher print was observed both in headline and core inflation. The latter too …

Google Confirms First International Retail Store in Japan

Google Confirms First International Retail Store in Japan

Published by Webster

Google’s retail ambitions are finally expanding beyond the US. The company confirmed plans to open its first physical Google Store outside the US this summer in Tokyo’s Omotesando district. The store will give shoppers a place to try, buy, repair, and get support for Google hardware, including Pixel phones, Nest devices, Fitbit products, and accessories. The move comes as Pixel’s position in Japan has strengthened, giving Google a timely reason to test whether its hardware ecosystem can translate online momentum into a stronger physical retail presence. Inside Google’s Omotesando Store When the store is launched, Google says customers will be able to find it on the first floor of the Omokado shopping mall, Tokyu Plaza, in the Omotesando district of the country’s capital. In a mockup image of the store, the store combines Japanese styling, such as the wooden baton framing, with Google Store brand signatures. Moving away from the outside, through the store, customers shopping in Japan will encounter a wide range of experiences and products. It offers brand-new Pixel devices, including exclusive Pixel …

Petrol, diesel retail prices hiked by ₹3 per litre as US-Iran war bites

Petrol, diesel retail prices hiked by ₹3 per litre as US-Iran war bites

Published by Parlour News

State-run oil companies raised pump prices of petrol and diesel by ₹3 per litre each across the country on Friday, while Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) increased compressed natural gas (CNG) rates by ₹2 per kg in and around Delhi — the first retail fuel price revision since the West Asia conflict drove international crude to multi-year highs. The timing of the hike has been under scrutiny. Assembly elections concluded in the last week of April, and company executives had indicated a modest price increase would follow once polls ended. (ANI) In Delhi, retail outlets of public sector oil companies are now selling petrol at ₹97.77 per litre and diesel at ₹90.67. IGL is selling CNG at ₹79.09 per kg in Delhi, ₹80.70 in Noida, ₹84.12 in Gurugram, and ₹88.44 in Ajmer. Because of local levies, pump prices vary by city: petrol is ₹108.74 in Kolkata, ₹106.68 in Mumbai, and ₹103.67 in Chennai; diesel is ₹95.13 in Kolkata, ₹93.14 in Mumbai, and ₹95.25 in Chennai. The hike provides only partial relief. Government officials and company executives …

Maggi to Maruti, war upends production schedules, retail prices | Business News

Maggi to Maruti, war upends production schedules, retail prices | Business News

Published by Parlour News

5 min readNew DelhiApr 12, 2026 04:34 AM IST With the West Asia war disrupting supply chains, Nestlé India is facing a shortage of packaging material and this is learnt to have resulted in a pile-up of Maggi, the best-selling instant noodles brand, in at least one of its multiple production units in the country.  A leading multinational corporation dealing in food processing and packaging has reduced its energy usage at one of its key plants in western India following an official advisory requiring energy optimisation by industrial units. Even though the company is learnt to be dealing with higher costs for inputs such as aluminium and paperboard, it has kept its packaging plant operational but directed all extra employees at the worksite to work from home to sustain the packaging activity essentially running on gas.  Bisleri, the country’s leading mineral water brand, has already increased the price of its 1-litre bottle to Rs 20 from Rs 18 amid a rise in packaging costs, while one of the largest bottling franchisee of Coca-Cola has indicated that …