Pune: "Our locality has so many big housing societies, but all these years, I haven't seen so many new faces as I see now," a grocery store owner on Kunal Icon Road in Pimple Saudagar said, adding people now prefer to come to him rather than buy groceries online or from supermarkets.
"It is a difficult time no doubt, but even the smallest grocery shop is doing good business," he said, not wanting to be named.
With many areas in Pune getting sealed to contain the spread of coronavirus, small marts, kirana (grocery) shops and sellers have suddenly regained their long-lost customers.
Before the lockdown, online grocery delivery apps were gaining popularity because of the ease of ordering, discounts and cashback. But now, residents not wanting to venture out too far prefer to buy essentials from the nearest shop -- regardless of its size and appeal.
New names, new brands
With stock getting over rapidly, popular brands of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) are now hard to find. Their place has been taken by the lesser-known brands -- in some cases hitherto unknown brands -- that have found an opportunity to come out of the shadow of their richer competitors.
"I went to replenish my grocery stock on Sunday but came back with atta, ghee, biscuits and soaps from unknown brands. I can't be too sure of the quality as I am using all of these for the first time. The shopkeeper did not have the popular brands, and I didn't want to go too far in search of it," said Ankita Parakh, a resident of Wanawadi.
Shopkeepers say that there is no supply from the distributor, which is forcing them to buy from a local wholesaler who has increased prices, so profit margin has gone down.
"People are still in panic buying mode. They buy in large quantities even though Kirana shops are open every day," Ramesh Jadhav, a grocery shop owner in Lohegaon said.
Loose items packed locally do not have MRPs printed on it, so some shopkeepers are selling pulses, atta, rice and sugar at a slightly higher price.
Even the big supermarkets are now running out of stock and are preferring to sell in-house brands.
Crowd management
Anuja Kelkar, a resident of Kothrud, recalled her supermarket shopping experience. "People preferred to buy loose pulses and sugar. Usual discounts at supermarkets were absent. Only one member of the family was allowed to go in for 15 minutes, and billing also had to be done in that time," Kelkar said.
At a shop in Anand Nagar on Sinhagad Road, the shopkeeper instructs all customers to write their requirements on a paper and then wait a little away from the shop to ensure social distancing, said Vaidehi Joshi, a resident of that area. The shopkeeper then packs everything in a bag and calls out the customers name, thereby managing the crowd effectively.
Jayesh Kale, a resident of Mukund Nagar, noted that some shopkeepers have made WhatsApp groups that include customers, where they post availability or arrival of products, vegetables or fruits.
Online delivery
However, there still are a large number of net-savvy citizens who prefer to buy their groceries and vegetables online to avoid going out and risk coming in contact with coronavirus. This move has not gone down too well with a retailers association in Pune. The Pune Vyapari Mahasangh, has approached the central government to oppose permission given to online delivery services and e-commerce platforms to function right now.
They feel that in such a crisis, it was the local traders' body who were providing essentials to people. So it was not fair to promote online platforms.
However, even these online suppliers are grappling with limited stock and workforce to deliver the goods. And that is indirectly benefitting the small traders and shopowners.
