Soopar Market
The supermarket bug has hit India and retail industry is one of the fastest growing industry. We are also not far from having hyper markets (courtesy - Bharti-Walmart). This is not only indicative of the economic development and increase in spending power of middle class but also indicative of the massive social and cultural change that is sweeping this country.
I recently visited one of the "markets" in Mysore that still has mom-n-pop shops selling groceries, clothes, perfumes, bangles etc. It brought back memories from childhood when we accompanied the house maid to the weekly shopping at the local market. The shop owners knew us by name although all the shop owners had just one name - "Uncle". They always made sure we got our weekly hafta of a toffee or cookie. I used to love sitting on one of those rice bags placed outside the shop trying to puncture it and drain the grains while the maid shopped for all the items. What surprised me was Uncle always knew the quality and price every family preferred. But it did not end at that - he also knew about our family, grandparents health, aunties, marriages etc. I also loved the part where the maid would stand and haggle for minutes with a flower or a fruit vendor. I would always worry that the bargaining will soon turn to a fight. But they always seemed to patch up as soon as the deal was struck and would start to converse about weather and kids etc.
All this is now different with the advent of super markets. The air conditioned buildings, disgruntled staff, no bargaining, long queues and no weekly hafta of chocolates/cookies make the whole impersonal. The economic impact of supermarkets is a different debate all together, but the joy of shopping will not be the same again.
I recently visited one of the "markets" in Mysore that still has mom-n-pop shops selling groceries, clothes, perfumes, bangles etc. It brought back memories from childhood when we accompanied the house maid to the weekly shopping at the local market. The shop owners knew us by name although all the shop owners had just one name - "Uncle". They always made sure we got our weekly hafta of a toffee or cookie. I used to love sitting on one of those rice bags placed outside the shop trying to puncture it and drain the grains while the maid shopped for all the items. What surprised me was Uncle always knew the quality and price every family preferred. But it did not end at that - he also knew about our family, grandparents health, aunties, marriages etc. I also loved the part where the maid would stand and haggle for minutes with a flower or a fruit vendor. I would always worry that the bargaining will soon turn to a fight. But they always seemed to patch up as soon as the deal was struck and would start to converse about weather and kids etc.
All this is now different with the advent of super markets. The air conditioned buildings, disgruntled staff, no bargaining, long queues and no weekly hafta of chocolates/cookies make the whole impersonal. The economic impact of supermarkets is a different debate all together, but the joy of shopping will not be the same again.
posted by Siva at 11:47 AM
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