MDIM Journal of Management Review and Practice
issue front

Hridayama Dev Varma1  and S Senthil Kumar1

First Published 29 Jul 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/mjmrp.251332229
Article Information Volume 3, Issue 2 September 2025
Corresponding Author:

Hridayama Dev Varma, Research Scholar, Faculty of Management SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 603203, India.
Email: devvarma.hridz@gmail.com

1Faculty of Management SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

cc img

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-Commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed. 

Abstract

This research article tells us about the different types of retail food chains that are present in India in different geographical regions. Retail food chain investors only invest in those regions where there is per capita income in different states in India. People from tier 2-and tier-3 cities migrate towards metropolitan areas and better opportunities, better income and a source of livelihood. The circular flow of income is more dominant in the tier-1 cities due to the investors targeting the market and population with more per capita income. This article tells us about the challenges that retail food chains face in their business in certain states and regions in India. In India, retail food chains encounter a combination of opportunities and challenges that are influenced by regional diversity, regulatory frameworks, consumer behaviour and infrastructural variation. This article tells us how to solve the challenges faced by retail food chains and steps to eradicate customer churning and build and expand business in different regions of India.

Keywords

Retail food chains, consumer behaviour, customer churn, business marketing

References

Chiu, C. L., Ho, H. C., Yu, T., Liu, Y., & Mo, Y. (2021). Exploring information technology success of augmented reality retail applications in retail food chains. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 61, 102561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102561

Chopra, R., & Mehta, N. (2021). Global food trends and their influence on Indian consumers: A competitive analysis of international chains in India. British Food Journal, 123(7), 2345–2360. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-06-2020-0451

Cooling India. (2024). Solving India’s food chain challenges. Cooling India Journal. https://www.coolingindia.in/solving-indias-food-chain-challenges/

FranchiseBAZAR. (2023). Competitive landscape for retail food chains in South India: Market saturation and consumer preferences analysis. FranchiseBAZAR Report. https://franchisebazar.com/blogs/

Fuchs, D., Kalfagianni, A., & Arentsen, M. (2009). Retail power, private standards, and sustainability in the global food system. Journal of Food Systems and Sustainability, 4(2), 35–50.

Guttal, V. (2020). Infrastructure challenges for retail food chains in tier-2 and tier-3 cities: An analysis of logistics issues in India. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 56(4), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/jscm.12180

Idli Xpress. (2023). Local versus international food chains in smaller Indian towns. Food Industry Review, 12(3), 45–50.

Kouzina Food Tech. (2023). Regional food preferences and their impact on retail food chains in South India. Kouzina Tech Journal. https://www.kouzinafoodtech.com/

Kumar, A., & Sharma, R. (2021). Growth factors driving the retail food industry in India. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58, 102–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102110

Martin, L., Gupta, S., & Rao, K. (2020). Cultural diversity and menu customization strategies for retail food chains in India: Balancing local tastes with brand consistency. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 37(5), 565–578.

Minhas, A. (2024). Food retail in India—statistics & facts. Statista Insights. https://www.statista.com/topics/5615/food-retail-in-india/

Patel, S. (2020). The impact of urbanization on retail food chains in India: A case study of Bangalore and Mumbai. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 48(5), 543–558. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-09-2019-0273

Reddy, S., & Gupta, M. (2022). Technological advancements in the retail food sector: The role of mobile apps and online delivery platforms. Journal of Business Research, 139, 123–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.09.052

Salary Box. (2023). Challenges and opportunities in the Indian retail sector. Salary Box Report. https://www.salarybox.in/blog/challenges-and-opportunities-in-the-indian-retail-sector/

Sankalp Group. (2023). Challenges of expanding retail food chains in South Indian cities. Sankalp Report. https://sankalp-group.org/

Smith, J., & Jones, L. (2020). Regulatory compliance challenges for retail food chains in India: Navigating the FSSAI landscape. International Journal of Food Safety and Nutrition, 5(2), 77–89.

The Economic Times. (2023). Investment trends in Western India: Challenges and opportunities for retail food chains.

Verma, P., Singh, R., & Joshi, A. (2019). Changing lifestyles and preferences: The rise of quick-service restaurants in urban India. Food Quality and Preference, 75, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.03.005


Make a Submission Order a Print Copy