SadakMap Spotme

My Spotme Widget – got it from SadakMap.com

Demise of the Indian Supermarket stores

Subhiksha set the ball rolling and now others are slowly pulling the shutters down. Those that began with a huge fanfare now seem to be giving in without a fight. But I think there is something that the Subhiksha’s of today (er yesterday) can still do to make a comeback.

First lets take a look at some of the problems plaguing the supermarkets.

1. no easy access (not necessarily walking distance for most)
2. they are running on the premise that indians are willing to change their habits – from shopping in piecemeal – to shopping to stock
3. poor home delivery options – you have to shop in the store, pay, and then wait for 4-8 hours for the stuff to arrive at home.
4. another change of behavior – do your own work – i.e. pick, choose, cart yourself instead of give the baniya a list and he brings everything to you.
5. lack of convenience – where is the convenience when compared to shopping from the nukkad’s baniya
6. very poor inventory control – in the US they have it down to an art form – here it seems like its left to the store manager’s intellect.

just to be fair, the benefits are:

1. a slightly better guarantee of quality goods (no pilfering with labels, product, etc)
2. cashless transactions
3. bill of items – I personally take respite in the fact that a registered bill means the business is doing fair business and paying its taxes due. Besides, the sources of procurement of groceries are on paper and hence less chances of bringing home Parle-G biscuits made in a shanty on the city’s outskirts.

So – whats a mix that can possibly work well?

1. Subhiksha/More/Reliance Fresh can try getting baniya-kind of stores (50-100 sq ft shop spaces) at all nukkads. Surely these will be less pricey than the large air-conditioned stores.
2. Connect these boutique stores by a network to help manage inventory better. Keep a fleet of trucks at a warehouse on the outskirts of the city that can ensure that these stores are well-stocked at all times (the “network” mentioned doesnt necessarily have to be a hi-fi network – it could very well be a phone-in-your-inventory kind of a system)
3. continue to support cashless transactions and provide a bill of items for all purchases.
4. Take a lesson from the baniya and offer a phone-in-your-order with free home delivery for the neighborhood.

Pune Marathon – 10K Run

The city of Pune has been organizing an annual marathon event for quite some years now. The event is one of the largest in the country.
I and Rupali managed to participate and run in the 10 kilometers event. Here is a narrative on that.

We had decided to run in the 10k event about 4 months ago, so we had been running 2-3 times a week just to get in the groove.
A week before the event (Dec 7), we went to signup for the run and thats where this story begins.

The marathon website stated that 30th Dec was the day the 10k runners were supposed to register – so we went bright and early only to find to our dismay that they didnt have any forms left. We were told by one sympathetic organizer that since the Rs. 20 registration gets you a running t-shirt, a lot of non-serious runners also signup just for the t-shirts (what a bargain he says). After making some frantic calls, a TCS friend finally arranged for us to get 2 forms from his company. Come Sunday, December 7, we dutifully assembled in the cold Pune winter morning at 6:30am at the starting point. There was a sea of runners across all ages – school kids, under-17, older runners, handicapped, military folks, etc. The kickoff for the 10K run was at 7:30am, but was delayed by well over 40 minutes just because some of the dignitaries insisted on completing their “bhashan”. At about 8:15 we were waved off by Priyanka Chopra and Rahul Bose – Priyanka looked stunning (thats what Rupali says – I never got to see her ). I can appreciate crowd power now – at the start, you didnt have to do much to get started, you just got carried forward. Finally, I was able to break away and stood for a few minutes to wait for the women 10K runners to show up. Luckily enough, I was able to spot Rupali and we started running together. The atmosphere was quite something, people running all around you and all running for a special cause now (“Salute to our heroes” was the motto for this years run). We were told there would be volunteers at every 200 meters with water, but couldnt find any up until the first kilometer mark – so I ducked into a restaurant and bought a water bottle (he unfortunately had a litre bottle, and it seemed to weigh a ton while running). The sea of runners quickly turned into a river and a stream and soon after a trickle. The school kids were the most enthusiastic of the lot, and their modus operandi was to walk a few and then run like hell. It was heartening to see the military folks though – there was no point keeping pace with them and they soon disappeared into the distance. We were just soaking in the scene – couldtnt have ever thought we would be running on the very roads that we have been driving on the past couple of years that we have been in Pune. Pune-ites had turned out in good numbers to egg us on – they were at every street corner – some with music bands, others singing patriotic songs – still others chanting “buck up”. The school kids lining the road stuck out their hands for a high-five. All this kept us going for the first few kilometers and then we started feeling all the ill-effects of not practising well. The sore thighs, feet, the heat from the rising sun, pain erupting from joints. But then you hear a band playing and you keep going. For those who are familiar with Pune, we took the Deccan-LaxmiRoad-Shankar Sheth Road-Pune Solapur Road-M G Road-Moledina Road-Poona Club Road-Bund Garden Road. At the 4 km mark, we asked a volunteer how far had we come and he said 7kms – our optimism ruled over our senses and we increased our pace for the “last” 3 kms. Rupali had developed a cramp and had to slow down – so I carried along for the last 2 kms. The traffic organizers had done a good job of keeping the roads clear for us. The last few kilometers were tough, but soon the end was in sight. The finish was not as glamorous – no Priyanka Chopra to greet us – but heck I had done it. Soon after Rupali followed and kudos to the girl, she hadnt quit running despite the cramps (by the way – she also has a Marathon – yeah the full 42 kilometers race under her belt – achieved back in 2003 in British Columbia). We celebrated with a cocunut water drink and savored it down to the malai. We plan to move up from 10k – but for now are nursing our sore limbs.