The economic slowdown in the US is likely to hit the expansion plans of retail companies in India, according to industry analysts. It may even act as a dampener for the India expansion plans of biggies like Wal-Mart. ?Due to recession in the US, retail biggies in the country will not be expanding on the expected lines,? Arnab Kumar Hazra, an economist associated with the India Development Foundation (IDF), said. ?With the slowdown in the US economy, Wal-Mart may be looking at re-evaluating its strategy in about 9-10 new markets, including India,??founder director, Milagrow Business and Knowledge Solutions Ltd, Rajeev Karwal, said. According to Harminder P Sahni, managing director of management consultancy firm,?Technopak,?the recent slowdown in the US is impacting the overall economy of India and the retail sector would be no exception. However, since the base of the retail sector is small, the impact would not be severe. A PricewaterhouseCoopers official said that if there is a slowdown in the US, the ripples would automatically be felt in various sectors throughout the world, including retail. According to him, this would force some large companies in India to go slow on expansion. According to Pinakiranjan Mishra, partner, retail practice, Ernst & Young, in case the US slowdown impacts India?s economy and overall mood of the people, it will have an impact on the expansion plans of retail companies in the country.
