Grocery stores in India and the U.S. - A comparison

When I returned to India from the US, I was mentally prepared to forego the big grocery store experience and shop at kirana stores. I consoled myself thinking it would be so much more convenient to go to a store with my list — or call the store — and have all the groceries wrapped and packed for me (and perhaps even delivered to my home).

But much to my surprise (a pleasant one at that) almost every nook and corner of Bangalore had a Food World or a Fabmall or an MK Retail or even a Big Bazaar. I ended up using my friendly neighborhood kirana store a lot, but when I needed to make big purchases, I would head to one of the bigger retail stores.

How did these shops compare to the grocery stores in the US? To answer that question, let us take an in-depth look at Indian grocery stores.

1. Parking:

The parking space available at most grocery stores is woefully limited. Most grocery store customers own vehicles. Why then would a store have just five parking spots? Beats me! Once we went to Big Bazaar at Koramangala and were forced to park at The Forum and walk to Big Bazaar. On most occasions though, my driver would drop me off at the entrance and hover around the store looking for a parking spot while I shopped. Oh, the small conveniences of living in India!

2. Aisles:

The aisles in India are narrower than ones in the US while the number of people crammed into the aisles is much higher. Less aisle space means more storage space. With the exorbitant rents in India today, only high-end retail stores such as Shoprite can afford wider aisles. But who cares? We are Indians. We don't mind crowds. We don't mind being squeezed against each other or smelling the aroma of perspiration and perfume blended together in various combos.

3. Customer service:

I saw a big improvement over the past few years. The concept of 'Customer is king' seems to have caught up. Almost every store employee seems nice and helpful. A welcome change indeed. I would rate the customer service aspect of Indian grocery stores pretty high.

4. Privacy:

Would you want a bunch of strangers to know which brand of tampons you are buying for your wife (or that you are buying tampons for that matter!)? Of course not! But trust me, they will know. Because store employees seem to have been instructed to watch customers carefully. Perhaps they are trying to prevent shoplifting. But whatever their motive might be, I feel a little uncomfortable shopping with some one watching my every move and trying to put every item back in its place as soon as I take my hands off it.

This used to be the case with high-end shops such as Shopper's Stop, but now that has changed. Those customers now enjoy an unhindered shopping experience. It is the grocery store shoppers who have to contend with store employees trying to rearrange the boxes of cereal aesthetically, even before the buyer has made his selection. Well, I do not blame them. That is what they have been trained to do.

5. Arrangement:

The arrangement is very similar to the US. You have to plunge deep into the store to buy vital items such as milk or yogurt, so that you end up buying loads of other things as well. But, that is just part of market strategy. Other than that, I would say I had no problems with the way things were arranged in most grocery stores.

6. Crowds:

I am not going to complain about the crowds of people thronging grocery stores every waking hour (because that would lead us to other impertinent issues such as our huge population). But I confess I still have not learnt how to negotiate my grocery cart through the narrow aisles past hordes of people who refuse to deviate from their chosen trajectory, come what may. So what if the lady trying to push her cart is pregnant or is carrying a small (and wailing) baby? She must find her own course just like I do! Perhaps this is why grocery stores choose to have narrower aisles. Because, even if the aisles were wider, we would still push and shove. We are "like that only"!

7. Queues:

I remember the first time I visited Big Bazaar. I could not use a cart because the store was too crowded. I picked up a basket and filled it with a couple of things that I needed — and several things that I did not need. Nothing could have prepared me for the utter chaos I encountered at the checkout counter. The queue was so long and disorganized that it would have taken me 20-30 minutes just to finish the checkout process. I decided that I did not want to spend 30 minutes of my time, trying to save a little money. I abandoned my basket and walked to The Forum (where I had parked my car, remember?).

8. Cash Vs Credit cards:

Again, a big improvement here. Almost every store accepts credit cards and does not charge credit card customers extra for the convenience. Lots of people pay with cash though, but that is slowly changing.

9. International groceries:

This is one area where Indian grocery stores lag behind. I yearned for the food items that I used to enjoy back in the US. They were either too tough to find or too expensive. One place that is a notch above the rest in this aspect is the Foodworld at Bangalore Central (The Mall). Coming to think of it, Central has some pretty good international restaurants too. But let us save that subject for another day.

10. Home delivery:

Yes, you can check out all your groceries and then have them delivered to your doorstep! Stores such as Fabmall offer this facility. This system is almost non-existent in the US! Amazon.com now sells groceries online but charges a delivery fee.

All said and done, I enjoyed my grocery shopping experience in India almost as much as I did back in the US. Yes, in spite of the bustling crowds, the narrow aisles and the lack of parking space. My "shopping experience" could have been a little better, but let us give these shops some more time before we get too judgmental. What matters is that Indian grocery stores are trying to match international standards. And I am sure they will soon catch up.

But, in the meanwhile, will somebody please give us Indian shoppers, a primer on grocery shopping etiquette?

Report from: Dr. Nishi Viswanathan
Born in Hyderabad, brought up in Mumbai, settled in Bangalore after a brief stint in the US, Dr. Nishi Viswanathan is a doctor-turned-biotechnologist-turned writer. Nishi loves reading (anything she can get her hands on), travel, watching movies, exotic food, .....let's simply say she loves living.