Annachi

It was always worrying for me that how these "Annachi" and "chettiyar" shops will survive when the malls are growing and getting bigger in the past. The evolution of malls has changed the retailing industry completely. They haven't completely got into sale spree and that's what saving these small shops.

If you know they are always selling at low price the whole crowd will start buying that. Like the Kungumam magazine which hit the largest selling magazine mark only by those freebies they gave. People are ready to buy a crap material like that when they know they are getting something free. Once getting used to it, they won't stop buying even when freebies were not given.

In one of the past issues, there was a suggestion in "Nanayam vikatan" that "annachis" should unite and grow bigger to fight the MNC players. A place like in bangalore, now most of the "annachi" kind shop owners buy in "METRO" which sells things in bulk. That proves even "annachi" will go to a source where they get things for cheaper.

The convenience of buying next door is there. But people are buying things at the mall just for the pride and to envy the neighbours. Sometimes it is the convenience.

In one of the busiest roadside market a new vegetable shop was opened. One variety of beans was sold at the roadside for 40/- and at the same time inside the store it is only 14/- per kg. But other vegetables rates are more. So whenever i want to buy the beans, i go there to buy. I don't buy other vegetables. But more and more females who spend their time fighting to reduce 10 paise now buys bag after bag without any bargaining. It becomes trendy for these womans. They buy just for the pride and they like the convenience of it.Among that some might be beleiving that like the beans other prices are cheaper and continue buying that.

But in this week issue, one of the "annachi" has said, they will survive no matter what as they are the one whos give things for credit to the poor. Exactly! they can only lend things to the poor people and their market will always be the poor people. And more and more start moving towards these malls. The only guarantee is the rich poor divide will never come down atleast in India and the no of poor is increasing. But will it help the business to survive where you only lend and don't sell?

It's really time for the Annachi brothers to re-think. They can still innovate new ideas. They still can serve the poor by lending or at the same time they should gather to fight the big players. Before someone comes and take that place why don't they do it by themselves?