FOOD NEWS
Why The Majority Of Grocery Stores In India Are Tiny Mom And Pop Shops
BY CLAIRE REDDEN
Supermarkets are the norm in America, but 95% of India's food and grocery market comprises small mom-and-pop shops called kiranas.
Kiranas aren’t typically stocked with big-name food brands, and you may not find any one product from one shop to the next. Instead, they carry products tailored to the community.
The concept of the kirana was an evolution from India's traditional open-air markets where people would gather and trade goods with the vendors.
Families then began to open small stores known as kiranas within their own neighborhoods. By being even closer to the areas where people lived, they became an added convenience.
Customers can call their local store and ask for a product, no matter how specific, and have it delivered to their door, sometimes within hours.
You might expect India's kiranas to suffer as the world gets more digital, but kiranas have stood firmly in their place at the epicenter of the Indian grocery business.
What grocery delivery apps have failed to replicate in the Indian market specifically, is something that the kirana owner holds dear to their heart: their personalized service.