Traditional Family Run Convenience Stores

Traditional family run convenience stores are too well established in India than to be wiped out and besides there is uniqueness in the traditional items that represent the sub-continent. The retail stores in India are essentially dominated by the unorganized sector or traditional stores. Infact the traditional stores have taken up 98 percent of the Indian retail market. Now stores run by families are primarily food based and the set up is as Kirana or the 'corner grocer' stores. Basically they provide high service with low prices. If the stores are not food based then the type of retail items available are local in nature.

The traditional family run convenience stores can take pride in the fact that the Kirana is the most common outlet forms for the consumers. The tough competition for convenience stores are coming from organized retail stores dealing in food items, like:

Apna Bazaar

Canteen stores

Food World

Subhiksha

Food Bazaar

Convenience Stores are open for long hours and is one of the formats of the Indian retail stores that cater to basic needs of the consumer. A good example of such would be Convenio. These stores are found in both residential as well as commercial markets. The food products of traditional family run convenience stores are comprised of branded as well as non-branded items. The benefits of family run convenience stores is that they give importance to:

Personal touch

Facilities of credit

Quick home delivery

Non-food based stock comprises of multiple and varieties of local brands. The future of such stores as they face competition from organized sector, would depend on the following particulars:

• Place and capacity
• Diligent area coverage
• Disciplined work schedule
• Managing turnover
• Revenue from assets
• Customer service and satisfaction

The traditional family run convenience stores serves the purpose of the housewives who definitely wants to avoid traveling long distances to purchase daily needs. The convenience factor in terms of items, among people in general can be highlighted as below:

• Groceries
• Fruits
• Drug Store
• Necessary stationery

As such traditional family run convenience stores are here to stay and cannot be oversized by th organized retail sector besides, it represents the variety of India.

Evolution of Indian Retail

• Traditional Rural Retail Fairs

• Traditional Family Run
  Convenience Stores