Hyderabad largest retail hub in south: Study

Hyderabad has emerged as the largest retail hub in south India, according to a latest study by leading retail IT solutions provider Ginesys.

The study, titled "Indian Retail Footprint - 2013" says that Hyderabad witnessed 33.04 percent more retail penetration than Bangalore, despite a lower population.

At the macro-level, south India sees higher retail density than north and west India.

The report also found that tier-II cities such as Gwalior, Dhanbad, Vijayawada, Vizag, Surat, Pune and Chandigarh witnessed high penetration of retailers.

"Rise in discretionary/per capita income has given a boost to retail consumption in tier II cities and towns. At the same time, these towns and cities have witnessed rapid improvements in infrastructure and logistics enabling retailers to set up outlets to cater to the demand," Ginesys CEO Prashant Lohia said in a statement.

In the south, cities like Vizag and Vijaywada, have become centres for heavy machine industries, in addition to traditional sea trade. This heavy commercialization can be considered a key factor responsible for high retail density.

The report also states that retail penetration is skewed towards the metros in north India comprising of the Delhi-NCR region, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.