Your local store or mom-and-pop store does a lot more than sell
This seemingly insignificant secret was revealed to me one fine morning as I browsed through a department store. It was a weekday and the store was rather deserted. It was just my mom and I and one more pretty lady weaving our way through the collection of kurtas and other ethnic Indianwear for women. My eyes were simply zipping their way through the pastel hues, floral prints and paisleys long before my legs sluggishly tagged along waiting for my mind to say ‘Aha!’. My Mom had picked a few kurtas for herself and was on her way to the trial rooms. I decided to linger around the fitting rooms so I can give my ‘expert fashion advice’ to my mom. All I was doing was saying ‘yeah, this looks good’, ‘um yeah, this is ok,’ and ‘that one’s better.’
As I waited for my Mom to try another piece, the other lady came out of the next cubicle and was looking at how the dress she had on, looked. I remember, it was a yellow with white flowers and light green vines printed all over. She suddenly asked me, ‘how’s this?’
I was a little surprised but pleased. “It looks good,” I replied.
“Will you be here a little while? I will try the other yellow piece. Please tell me which looks better on me,” she requested.
I nodded but I felt ever so pleased that I was able to help someone decide on what to buy. The next one she wore was a lovely bright yellow (not too bright) with floral print and it looked lovely on the lady, who had a well-maintained pear-shaped figure with wheat-ish complexion. She went ahead and bought that piece.
We, Indians are used to shopping with a friend or sibling and the main reason is that there is someone who can tell what looks good on us. After all, we dress up to look good, feel nice and perhaps get a few compliments. One thought that crossed my mind was ‘how about I become a shopping buddy?’
However, this was not the only thought that occurred. I observed a number of things in the days that followed and learnt a lot more until I discovered the ‘secret’.
Old people love local stores
Yes, most old people here love visiting a local store for their shopping. Is it because they are used to that store format? I don’t think so. It is a lot more than that. Buying from a local store gives the elderly to converse with someone as they do their shopping, have someone tell them what’s new, introduce them to the latest trends, acknowledge their needs, sometimes tell them what their true needs are, engage in small talk and remember their preferences. An ecommerce website does a lot of this already, doesn’t it. Yet, old people prefer visiting that store round the corner. Then, what does the magic for the local stores to win the elderly over from an estore or placing an order over phone? The answer lies in a recent article I read in ET Panache, How to Cope with Loneliness. What the local store offers is a chance to socialise, feel appreciated, feel acknowledged and in the process, made to feel special.
Young People don’t know it but they love visiting local stores too
Yes. If they weren’t too pressed for time, young people would actually love to shop at a local store. There are still some things that people prefer buying at their local mom-and-pop store. Why? Simply because the seller there has a lot more information about the product, its use, dos and don’ts, than anyone else. An estore will offer the product and perhaps all the technical details about the product but the primary feedback that local store owners get is not something that one might find on an estore. He knows which is the best quality product available at his store, how long the product may last (if it is a durable one), how to use it and may be how to clean it and a lot more. We can get a lot of this information on estores and through reviews. However, learning this face-to-face from a person gives a face to that information, making it more reliable. For instance, you want to buy a simple brass diya that will hold enough fuel to last the day. You can guess and buy one but the seller at the local pooja items store will be able to provide this information. All you need to do is ask. Not just that, this seller will also give several options to you and guide you through the entire Consideration level of your buying process. Besides the information they get, the conversation with the seller creates an experience.
Local stores are children-friendly too
It is a lot easier for a child to buy something from a local store than from a department store or supermarket. For a parent frequenting a mom-and-pop store, getting a child to run an errand is easier. Most importantly, the local vendor, being a neighbourly figure, knows the family and, in all probability, would know what the buyer wants even if the child forgets.
Creates a sense of community
The magic of the personal touch that these mom-and-pop stores wield is very different. It creates a neighbourly bond and a community that may seem encroaching for some but on the flipside, it can create a secure environment for children and seniors. This I learnt from an experience a relative narrated. Her mother-in-law was a dementia patient and with her job, taking care of the mother was like fighting a new battle every day. One day, she returned home to find her mother-in-law missing. She wasn’t at home. She wasn’t with the neighbours. A search began for her and the people giving her clues and directions about where the mother might be, were the local store owners. Fortunately, one of the store owners had the presence of mind to call my relative up and meanwhile, keep mother engaged until they came to pick her. This isn’t something one can expect happening at a supermarket store.
One queer thing I have seen happening here is the local kirana stores converting their shops to small grocery marts so people can pick what they want. Despite the change, these store owners continue to have old customers come in and ask for items, ask for home deliveries and converse with the owner.
So why does this personal touch work? It is mainly because humans like to socialise (read: man is a social animal). Socialising soothes the mind and heals it gradually.
While department stores and supermarkets have their own benefits, local, old-style mom-and-pop stores will not fade away. These convenience stores may transform slightly but will continue to be preferred by most.
