Kirana Kings

It is heartwarming to read about this David vs Goliath fight in India that references the East India Company. The little guys in this case have a phenomenal strength in numbers

Representing about 70 million small merchants who collectively control almost 90% of India’s retail trade, India’s shopkeepers union has shown itself to be a strong political force.

And with those numbers comes power and clout

The union’s power is a significant reason the government has placed such onerous restrictions on foreign retailers -- including a minimum $100 million investment and strict local sourcing rules. Because of the hurdles, the likes of Walmart and Carrefour SA have all but given up on opening their eponymous stores in the country.

Maybe expats like me have no right to their nostalgia specially if it comes at the cost of a better way of life for those who live and work in India everyday. That said, we only have to look at the cost of big box store success in the America to judge its merits. Instead of living that painful cycle, maybe India can learn from it, bypass and do something that the rest of the world can be inspired by. 

Those inefficient, often poorly stocked kirana stores of my childhood and youth could not hold a candle to the assortment of Amazon at the like, but they did have real soul. It was not depressing to go out and buy things we needed. It was exciting to plan the special trips that came around the big festivals when more than the usual supplies were needed. 

Excess and waste were limited both by the fact that we did not have extra money, seemingly unlimited credit and that the stores did not have infinite inventory. Consequently most of our parents were debt-free, owned modest homes, were able to get us an education and send us out into the world. Without retail excess we all came ahead.