Tight tires, half-filled shelves: the story of rural retail demand
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The owner of this store in Maharashtra's Ghoti has shifted focus to supplying food and cosmetics to local restaurants, hotels and resorts due to near-loss of retail demand. Photo: Sharleen D'Souza
The bustling market of Ghoti, located about 140 km from Mumbai, paints a misleading picture. Amid the usual bustle of pedestrians and street vendors selling everything from clothes to toys, a closer inspection reveals the reality: few stop to make purchases.
Ramanlal Nemichand Picha, a prominent store established in 1965, has a desolate appearance. Post-Covid, the store witnessed a sharp decline in customers, and post-Diwali, the situation has worsened.
Prem Picha, 23, a fourth-generation owner of the store, says demand for products from shampoos to biscuits has fallen. “Our purchases from cookie distributors have decreased
First print: December 25, 2023 | 12:13 pm IST