Kirana stores start charging for home delivery
Kirana stores start charging for home deliveryTHOUSANDS of Mumbai kirana (grocery) stores have decided to charge for their complimentary 'home delivery' service. The decision was taken after grocery store owners observed almost a 40 per cent increase in customers who were going back to them after the initial trend of shopping in malls. Shop owners are now hiring additional delivery boys to keep up with the demand.
"We had been forced to reduce staff due to the recession but with business coming back, we have to start re-hiring," says Padamasee Savla, owner of the Good Luck store at Andheri who has been charging Rs 10 for a delivery of Rs 500 for the past one month. "Customers ask home delivery for one or two items; our boys spend 45 minutes traveling per delivery and are unable to fulfill all demands. So we have levied delivery charges," he adds.
Chandrakant Gala, general secretary of the Suburban Kirana Association, feels that people who spend on impulse shopping in malls are returning to the 'buy-what-you-need' kirana stores. "We will start charging delivery charges; the association is yet to take the decision," says Gala. He confirms, however, that shopkeepers in Andheri and Kurla have already started charging for home deliveries.
Suman Tripathi, a housewife, is among those who have stopped going to retail outlets in malls. "I don't mind paying for home delivery rather than spending invariably on products which can be excluded from our shopping list."
But unlike Savla, storeowners like Jakhu N Gala, of Dinbandu stores at Andheri feels customers will not pay.
"They are accustomed to the old kirana stores, it will be difficult for them to accept that they need to pay
now. We won't implement it as of now. Looking at the market situation, I don't want to lose my loyal customers."
