RETAIL

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's move, last week, to open India's protected retail sector to global supermarket giants surprised critics who had written him off as a policy ditherer. He was, however, probably motivated by expedience rather than any reformist zeal.

Foreign supermarket giants eyeing India may see rich pickings at New Delhi markets like Karol Bagh, where shoppers must negotiate a plethora of dubious-looking power lines and stinking rubbish piled high on sidewalks.

Political parties and leaders who oppose the move should study and understand realities in India and support and augment the actions needed to ensure that the decision is implemented in the right manner. If executed in the right way, it is certainly the step ahead in developing the much desired rural infrastructure and also keeping inflation in check, writes Bhaskar Prasad.

Tired of suffocating crowds and seemingly never-ending lines? On Saturday, retailers want you to think small.

The first report of Black Friday 2011 sales has been released, with record numbers suggesting good news for retailers heading into the holiday shopping season.

The next-generation Apple iPhone, already being dubbed the iPhone 5 by analysts, may hold more than just media and contacts. Advancements in near field communications technology, or NFC, can turn Apple's venerable iPhone into a digital wallet.

Amazon.com Inc., eBay Inc., and other online commerce companies had a strong Black Friday, but the industry's growth rate lagged last year's surge in online buying on the traditional first day of the holiday shopping season.

Black Friday shopping became a deadly holiday pastime on Friday when a West Virginia man was pronounced dead after he collapsed in a Target followed by a stampede of shoppers. More violence erupted nationwide as other major retailers with Black Friday deals, like Walmart, opened their doors. Here are some of the worst videos of frenzied shoppers getting violent on Black Friday across the web.

President Barack Obama, eager to spur growth and hiring, took his daughters on an early Christmas shopping trip on Saturday in Washington as the U.S. retail sector got its vital holiday season underway.

India's growth story is still credible and the move to open up the economy to global supermarket chains will help growth and control inflation, says RBI Governor Duvvuri Subbarao.

Customers can avail an additional savings of 25 percent, if they use the code SAVE25 at checkout.

2011 in Review: Top 10 Halloween Costumes of the Year [PHOTOS]

Reliance Industries and Bharti Enterprises have agreed to end negotiations over the sale of the latter’s stakes in two insurance services firms, set up in a joint venture, with France’s AXA.

India's move to open its supermarket sector to foreign investors brought relief to its capital-starved local chains but failed to impress small-shop owners.

There's not much to be thankful for if you were working on Wall Street this week. Stocks tumbled for the seventh session in a row, helping push the Standard & Poor's 500 down 4.7 percent.

Unnerved by a second profit warning in a month, investors sent HTC Corp shares tumbling for a second straight day on Friday on concern the world's No.4 smartphone maker may be running out of ideas in an increasingly competitive market.

Indian Rupee gained Thursday, breaking an eight-session losing streak, after the country's central bank, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), took several measures to stem the fall of rupee against the greenback.

Apple Inc.'s customers were able to get $101-off on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iMacs, $41-off on the first-generation iPad, $21-off on the iPod touch and $11-off on the iPod nano for Friday. This is unchanged from the deals announced last year.

The iPhone 4S, the final gadget unveiled during Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' lifetime, hit Indian stores on Friday with a starting price of 44,500 rupees.

Occupy Wall Street protesters are aiming their new target: Black Friday

India threw open its $450 billion retail market to global supermarket giants on Thursday, approving its biggest reform in years that may boost sorely needed investment in the country.