Vellaikkaari: YAY! More mass-produced plastics to consume!

While "strolling" through Anna Nagar the other day, I stumbled upon the newest "cash and carry" supermarket in Madurai: "Spencer's Daily". The very friendly cashier told me the name of the company which owns this chain, but I forget. The Spencer's in Madurai is trying to be something of a Bangalore mall, what with an A/C movie theatre attached to it. Suffice it to say, there are a number of corporations here in India that are getting into the retail, so-called "cash-and-carry", market these days. The most demonic corporation of all, Wal-Mart, is also positioning itself to get into the Indian market.

Needless to say, small shopowners and traders across India have been protesting the entrance of these various corporations, particularly Wal-Mart, into the retail business because it is going to put thousands of people out of business. Imagine the Wal-Mart machine taking over India as well! Do you really think the vegetable sellers are going to survive?

Your traditional shop here is about as far away as you can get from the cash-and-carry scenario that we are familiar with in the States. You walk up to a counter, usually with a list, and hand it to an employee. All the goods are behind the counter, out of reach of the customer. You dont browse around. They go and gather all the items you want and bring them to the front. This is for staples like rice, dals, and other non-perishables, as well as items like soap, shampoo, snacks, etc. If you need vegetables, you go to the vegetable market which doesn't need explaining.

But now we've got shops like Spencer's where everything is in one place. Even though I am sort of slamming cash-and-carries here, I did patronize this store and I rather enjoyed it. I wouldn't buy vegetables there, because the prices are too high, but for other things it is convenient because it is a shopping style that is familiar. And no surprise, the cashier told me that foreigners and others really like the store for the very reason that it is "cash-and-carry." Spencer's, a national chain, seems like one thing, but WAL-MART? (Unlike most liberals I have a good reason to hate them and hold a personal grudge seeing as how I worked for them as a cashier during my teen years). I can see why folks are protesting in the steet, trying to keep these devils out of India.

I took some clandestine photos of the place and bought some coffee powder. While waiting for the bus I got to see a family brawling on the street in front of the Apollo hospital.