ABSTRACT Retailing is the largest non-farm occupation in rural India. Unorganised retailers provide support for rural socioeconomic life by disseminating information, ensuring availability of goods/services, providing credit to villagers, and allowing barter systems in India. These indicate the embeddedness of unorganised retailers in India’s rural societies. Store premises in villages are the hubs of social interactions, yet chain stores are not seen to enable such benefits for villages. Hypotheses about the importance of rural retailer independents are developed in light of existing literature. This article presents findings from a survey constructed to research independent retailers by collecting a stratified random sample of villagers in the state of West Bengal, India. Survey responses were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine latent constructs. Seven identified constructs were confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Structural equation modelling (SEM) helped determine the relationships of six antecedent factors with the resultant factor, namely, the need for preservation, and the sustainability of rural independents discussed.

中文翻译：

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独立零售商在维持农村社会中的作用：印度农村的一项研究

摘要零售是印度农村地区最大的非农业职业。无组织的零售商通过传播信息，确保商品/服务的可用性，向村民提供信贷以及允许印度的易货贸易系统，为农村的社会经济生活提供支持。这些表明无组织零售商在印度农村社会中的根植性。村庄中的商店是社交活动的枢纽，但是连锁商店并未为村庄带来这种好处。根据现有文献，得出了有关农村零售商独立经营者重要性的假设。本文介绍了一项调查的结果，该调查旨在通过收集印度西孟加拉邦的村民的分层随机样本来研究独立零售商。对调查答复进行探索性因素分析（EFA），以确定潜在的构造。使用确认性因子分析（CFA）确认了7个已鉴定的构建体。结构方程模型（SEM）帮助确定了六个先行因素与结果因素之间的关系，即保存的必要性和所讨论的农村独立人口的可持续性。