Kirana stores rescue Hyderabadis

As the lockdown enters into the third week (with at least a similar tenure to be endured behind closed doors till it is hopefully relaxed), citizens in the city are waking up to the reliable service being provided by the neighbouring kirana stores, stocking up a variety of stuff to cater to a wide clientele. In the central zone of the city, with well-known residential localities like Himayat Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Chikkadpally and Bagh Lingampally etc forming a major part, the hole-in-the-wall shops are attending to hordes of customers. Social distancing or not, it is a common sight to see faces of men and women covered with masks hurrying up to these shops, running into a few hundreds, which do brisk business, selling a whole variety of groceries and assorted items.

'I went around three departmental stores in the area trying to pick up two items – salt and tamarind. None of them had it. I came with no hope to this store which is an emergency pit stop for my wife whenever she needs anything on an urgent basis. I was quite happy that I got both of them and at a reasonable price which was not too inflated' said a relieved old man, who was moving out hurriedly from the shop. The woman at the cash counter at the same time was receiving orders on her mobile phone, ordering her staff to pack the items and rush for home deliveries. 'We deposit them at the gate as many apartments are not allowing newcomers into the premises' she added.

While big establishments grapple with unreliable staff support and teeming customers venting their ire on the store employees for keeping the store racks empty, these mom-n-pop stores are quietly winning over the harried buyers. The shopkeeper of Nova rice and provisions store pointed out, 'We remind people of the olden days when we were always there to serve them, until late night. Our overheads are less and margins slightly higher these days owing to the virus scare. At the same time, we keep updating our procurement list so that we meet the demands of our customers.' Keeping the social conscience alive, a few shop owners are reminding their customers to wear masks and keep themselves safe. 'The cops are keeping us alert by making rounds regularly' confided another.