Have you tried getting directions in America?
In defense of the humble shop-keeper & why we need to keep Americana at bay

I’ve been reading daily about the growth of organized retail. A few folks think it’s a good thing – it will mean lower prices, more efficiency and ultimately benefit the common man. Others feel that it will result in widespread shutting down of the marginal retailer – small, independent and representative of the Indian entrepreneurial spirit. I just read a joke from the western world (must be England) – why are Indians bad at football? Because if they get a corner they’ll open a shop!

I’m not here to argue either side of this argument. However I do protest the onset of Big Retail. Why? To answer that you need to think about the question posed in the title.

I really wonder how people find their way around in America. Assume you are to go to someones house for dinner one night. Unless detailed and careful directions are given (which they usually do) its quite likely that you will find yourself wandering around like a lost puppy. Which explains the rise of GPS based systems as OEM on cars, the frenzy of Internet map sites and the general obsession for preciseness in American life (can we do a 4 way video-conference to discuss our potential response to ABC competitors threat? And please, we need a detailed agenda and a pre-read of all discussions two days prior).

Have you ever paused to think why this happens? Not the stuff written in brackets – that is a malady I still need to think about and analyze another time; but the obsessions with directions.

Obviously no one likes to be lost. The reason I’m sure lies in the complete absence of approachable and accessible shops along the road. In Tamil its called the ‘potti-kadai’ (literally trunk shop) quite aptly. Back then when tobacco was OK, he usually vended cigarettes & biri’s and paan. Gradually over time he’s added many more product lines – candy, small sachets of almost all consumer products and the most profitable cell phone cards. But he’s retained the one service he always provided – providing directions.

No matter which part of the country you are in, no matter what kind of terrain it is, no matter what time of the day it is, you are almost sure of finding one of these guys to guide the directionless. You want to solve the mystery that is Bengaluru’s confusing ‘main’ & ‘cross’ formula? No problem. How about Chennai’s unpronounceable Tam names? And Delhi’s phase 2, gate 4, pocket 6, extension phenomenon? Mumbai’s tricky road names – Mahadev Pandurkar marg & B.G Phadke street just off SV, Linking & WE highway? And Calcutta’s strange mix of college,Little (opposed to the elusive big) Russell street, Shakespeare Sarani co-existing with sundry Mukherjee, Basanta Roy & Bannerjee nestled inside the Lake, Ballygunge & Tollygunge areas. How on earth can you ever find an address with such a motley coda of addresses?

Enter the friendly neighbourhood shop-keeper. He knows everything. Not only does he know the address asked for, he’s also likely to know people concerned. It’s always been a fascination for me, but doesn’t every youngster approaching the paan-walla near his house fear that he’ll be found out sooner or later? Guess these guys know how to maintain confidentiality – will block of future custom I’m sure.

Anyway, he know’s who you are and he knows where you live. Kind of acts as a watch guard too.

But in America they’ve done away with this tribe completely. The Wal-marts and 7-11’s and the strip malls have annihilated the mom-&-pop shops on America’s high street. Ever tried going into one of those concrete monsters to ask for direction’s to Pappu’s house no. 3, pocket C, Phase 2, DB Apartments extension, Mathurapur? And you think its going to be any different at the Indian version?

So lets think about this entire retail thing once again, shall we? For the sake of finding ourselves if nothing else.