I don't think Reliance or any big retailer is buying directly from the farmer. Can someone specify if that is the case. Is Reliance going to each and every farmer and buying from their door?? They are probably buying from a bigger middle-man than the small middle-men who operate out of the mandis right now and again dominated even at village level by one community. Yes farmers stand to gain in the short run where they don't have to sell to the small trader but to a bigger one who will offer better rate till the small middlemen are wiped out. After that again the rule of the game would be to squeeze the best rate out of farmers.
Also for the consumer, more than service it's the presentation that's attractive. You get to shop in AC and with lot of choice under one roof. You get to choose and pick up yourself what you want and don't want. Your children, wife, parents and grand parents get to also accompany you while you choose these things. SO it's the shopper experience rather than "service" per se.
