Sunny Khurana owner of Guru Bazaar in Main Street's Punjabi Market

When American retail giant Wal-Mart wanted to open a big-box store on Vancouver’s Southwest Marine drive two years ago, merchants in the nearby Punjabi market opposed the plan saying it would kill their business.

A Vancouver City Hall study showed that 25 per cent of the inventoried stores in the Punjab Market area carried merchandise similar to lines proposed by Wal-Mart and could be adversely impacted by the American behemoth.

Together with vocal local residents, many of South Asian descent, the plan for the 143,000-square-foot store was nixed.

Now Wal-Mart has returned with another foray into B.C.’s South Asian market, this time challenging local ethnic traders with a Bollywood Signature fashion line consisting of saris, shalwaars and other traditional Indian outfits.

The new brand, which is now available at 15 Wal-Mart Canada stores, including outlets in Abbotsford, Surrey and New Westminster, is the second initiative in a Wal-Mart campaign called, Store of the Community - a program that aims to carry specific merchandise catering to various cultural or ethnic groups. In February, for instance, Wal-Mart Canada offered traditional Chinese New Year items, including fashions, housewares and celebratory trinkets.
The Indian saris and traditional suits are made by Ranka Enterprise Inc., an Ontario-based supplier. The CEO’s daughter, Nini Sood, is the designer. She says that while the suits are traditional, she has tried to add “flare” to appeal to Canadian customers.

“Ranka has the knowledge to create an authentic line,” Wal-Mart Canada spokesperson Karin Campbell told the South Asian Post. “The CEO and his daughter are of South Asian heritage and they spoke with various groups in India to ensure that the line we were developing would appeal to the South Asian community.”

Campbell insisted that Wal-Mart is not trying to compete with local Indian shops in Main Street’s Punjabi Market or across the Lower Mainland. “We are not in the specialty business,” she said. “We’re trying to bring products that appeal to our South Asian customers at a very affordable price.”

But Owner of Guru Bazaar on Main Street, Sunny Khurana doesn’t buy Wal-Mart’s passive logic.

“If they’re not trying to compete, why would they be carrying that particular inventory only in areas where a lot of South Asians live, like Surrey? Why are they only carrying it in 15 stores and not nationwide? They’re going after the same pie,” he said.

Sammy Sandhu, owner of Bombay Silk and Saree in Delta, is worried about Wal-Mart’s entry into the market. His shop, which has been open for over eight years, depends on a loyal base of customers. Sandhu thinks Wal-Mart’s saris and shalwaars may not be hot sellers because this market thrives on customers who have high standards and generally look for fine craftsmanship and variety.

“Women who buy saris and langas want products that are unique,” he said. “I don’t think Wal-Mart is going to make each sari separately. They will probably buy in bulk.”
He plans to visit Wal-Mart to check out the new brand’s quality and pricing.

Khurana  is also skeptical that Wal-Mart can succeed in a business his family has been involved in for nearly sixty years. He says that consumers of South Asia fashions don’t want to wear the same outfit as everyone else. “Mass production doesn’t work with our fashion,” he said. “People want reasonable prices but they also want something that’s unique.”

While there is plenty of trepidation surrounding Wal-Mart’s entry in to the South Asian niche market, not everyone sees the department store’s arrival as a bad thing. Raj Samra, who lives in Surrey, is a sari connoisseur. She has over 100 suits and saris in her closet and can spend hours in a boutique simply examining embroidery. Like many in the Indo-Canadian community, she has even flown to India to shop for higher quality at lower prices.

But despite her sophisticated standards, she looks forward to seeing what Wal-Mart has to offer. “When I first heard that Wal-Mart was offering suits I thought that’s nice,” she said. “I would buy from them but a lot depends on the quality.”

Arvir Kainth, whose family has owned Avi’s Fine Fashion and Boutique in Surrey for seven years, went to Wal-Mart to scope out the competition. He was unimpressed with the suits’ workmanship and found them over-priced. “If we were going to sell the same things as Wal-Mart, we would be able to do it for half the price,” he said.

Despite what he sees as Wal-Mart’s over-priced products, Kainth is concerned that the big-box store’s mere presence will deter his fringe customers from visiting his store. “People from other cultures who sometimes come into our shop might go to Wal-Mart instead because their’s is a one-stop shop,” he said. Kainth said his family already had to shut down their second location because business is hurting.

But Khurana finds it hard to believe that Vancouverites will prefer to visit the “box store” instead of enjoying the flavours and sights of places like the Punjabi Market on Main Street, which he thinks is a more rewarding experience. He also doesn’t think the Bollywood Signature line will resonate with younger crowds who place a premium on labels and name brands.

“I have two teenage daughters and I know for a fact if someone asked them where they bought their outfit from, they would not be proud to say Wal-Mart,” he laughs. “Maybe for a jogging suit or something to wear around the house but definitely not for semi-formal clothing. I don’t think so.”