Story of an unknown retailer

Do you know the old shopkeeper behind the BonBon bakery whom we didn’t find in the shop for the past few weeks shrieked my wife?

He’s no more.

?He actually expired during the covid onslaught earlier this year she sighed. I felt very sad as if somebody very near and dear has passed away. A feeling of personal loss.

But the next moment I thought why am I so sad. He was just a small retailer. Our communication was nothing more than transactional communication. He was soft-spoken and a man of few words. Unlike other retailers who would engage you and do a lot of talking. His prices were reasonable and at times he would also give you a small discount. His wares were not unique it was simple kitchen tools, cutlery, and basic crockery along with some hardware tools meant for gardening. Yes, his products used to be of good quality and proved to be very durable too. One more interesting thing- we were not very loyal customers of this shop. Our frequency of visits to this store was negligible in the past five years because of the distance from my home as well as severe traffic and parking issues. But still, I was his customer for the past 18 years.

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So without being a great orator he communicated well. Without following any CRM mantra, he did so well in terms of the customer relationship. Without having any USP he clicked with his customers. Maybe this is the unknown bond that binds millions of Indians with unorganized Retail. It creates a loose-end family of so many people who can also be termed as semi strangers. Gradually a realization seeped in, It's human to respect and love fellow humans. It does not need a formal dialogue, superfluous statements, awards, recognitions, incentives, etc. Unorganized retail in India nurtures this relationship by binding us in a sweet social fabric. May be of some research interest to anthropologists. ?It gives you a fresh lease of life among the very formal and impersonal organized retail. It is ironic that these organized retail chains actually have complete training manuals regarding customer services and relationship marketing. Maybe the process-oriented approach kills the human touch which leads to a relationship.

Felt like sharing my feelings with you. Maybe I create an organization that is based on this principle of human relationship and a sense of belongingness.

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