Kiranas 'Kicked' by Malls

The unorganized retail sector in India compriises small stores located in every nook and corner. People bought their day to day requirements and hoarded monthly stock from the kirana (mom-and-pop) stores. The kirana business was a family business, run from generation to generation. The kiranawalla had personal relation with all his customers and catered to their needs effectively. But now the unorganized retail sector although comprising 93-94% of the total retail pie, has been challenged by the minority of the organized retail sector. The kiranawallas cannot offer the sophisticated services like the organized sector and thus their self confidence was getting lower and lower. Due to their lack of confidence, kirana stores were losing on their customers. This underestimation on the part of the kirana stores of their own advantages has prompted the study to know the actual reasons behind the lowering demand of the kirana stores.