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Role of Modern Technology in Unorganized Retail Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Ritu Narang

    (University of Lucknow)

  • Sonal Tiwari

    (National Post Graduate College)

Abstract

Indian retail industry, dominated by unorganized retail businesses, faces a number of challenges posed by the growth of organised retail sector. It is being recognized that modern technology including artificial intelligence can contribute in reducing disparities between enterprises. The current study, therefore, adopts a qualitative approach to understand the current retail technology ecosystem in unorganized retail business, to explore the level of adoption of modern technology in this sector and to identify the challenges faced by it in deploying currently available technology. A semi-structured, in-depth interview was carried out with the owners and store managers of unorganised apparel retail stores. The findings reveal that small-scale retailers were unaware of the term ‘artificial intelligence’. The majority of them expressed several apprehensions towards incorporating modern technologies into their business operations. This study has significant theoretical and managerial implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Ritu Narang & Sonal Tiwari, 2025. "Role of Modern Technology in Unorganized Retail Sector," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 1717-1744, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-024-01769-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-024-01769-4
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