Retail is the second largest employer in the country, with a labour force of over 35 million. Frontline associates perform yeoman service, “We act as fashion consultants to help you chose garments, secretaries who remind of items that have been missed in your monthly grocery shopping and lifesavers when we deliver that one strip of a pain-killer at 11 pm at night without complaint”, says one of the retail associates.

Retail Employees' Day is celebrated on December 12. It is aimed at recognizing the contribution of front-line store staff in India and eventually the world. The idea was pioneered by TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates in India) and was born of the need to create the pride of belonging within the retail community. In 2013, 500 retailers all over India, initiated campaigns to say 'Thank you' to their employees. RAI estimates that close to a million employees in retail were part of the celebration. In addition, the idea has spread beyond India, in what TRRAIN hopes will be the start of a trend; Boyner Group (with 480 stores and 7 e-commerce sites) celebrated Retail Employees' Day in Turkey.