Covid pandemic makes wholesale business do the unthinkable. Go online

The pandemic has accelerated the shift that blurs the difference between B2B and B2C

The story of India’s modern wholesale, which started in a big way with American retail major Walmart’s entry, is witnessing a transition that may change the face of the business like never before. 

The rush to open new stores, which defined the industry’s interest in the organised wholesale sector till now, is receding. Online play is a priority now — so far unthinkable in a business that’s all about a meaningful interface with kirana, or mom-and-pop stores. Real estate acquisition is mostly for inventories and fulfillment centres, or perhaps smaller physical stores as against large 50,000-sq ft or more area to