“Haalo Saar”
I turned to look, it was the owner of the local hairdressing salon, Murthy who I’ve known for years.
“Hows Business” I ask..
“Thumba Byaadu sir. Recession..business 50% down” he trails off..
Apparently people are not getting their haircuts as often as they used to.
“Once in 3-4 months saar…they dont care about looks. Previously people who came for a cut ended up getting a head massage.. but now its only cuts…”
Recession has hit everyone. Smaller businesses included. The guy running a computer parts store near my house told me that I was the only customer to go into his store for the past 2 days. All I bought from the guy was some cleaning liquid.
On the other hand, “Shettru” who runs the local grocery store has not noticed any fall in business. His customers are people from the local neighbourhood. In fact he noted that a lot of the new fangled vegetable and grocery stores in the area have shut down… “For us business has been this way for the last 30 years” he says…”IT will come and IT will go..” he says philosophically.
Restaurants have seen their business go down as well. Last week, I was at an upscale Chinese restaurant at lunchtime and could pick where I wanted to sit. Previously you needed a reservation.
However the local “Stand and Eat” joints are still doing good business. The owner of SLV in Banashankari grumbles about prices but says business is good. Thats because prices are low he says. He has another restaurant in the area that is a little more upscale. Business is down there.
I remember debating whether small businesses, be it your local grocery place, or the guy who sells vegetables at the street corner could hold up against the giant retailers who came up with better stores, better ambiance and were cheaper. Looks like the smaller businesses have survived better. The fancy ones have started downing their shutters.
“That big fellow has to employ 30 people” says Shettru. “On the other hand, ours is a family business”.
Touche !!!!
February 23, 2009 at 1:41 pm |
ah, true, though out here the mom and pop stores are shutting down as much as the larger ones. It’s teh medium ones who are still going strong..
February 24, 2009 at 6:41 am |
the recession scenario has become the topic of conversation everywhere! We were recently trying to come up with a list of recession proof professions one could fall back on , if need be *touch wood* . Hmmm…maybe a family business like the neighbourhood shettru sounds like a good idea
February 24, 2009 at 6:46 am |
@rads: oh ya.. I guess the definition of “mom and pop” vary..even here not all types of mom and pop stores are recession proof..
@muser: I think about that too…best would have been if my forefathers had left me with oodles of money
February 24, 2009 at 10:59 am |
haha…
Our car cleaner ‘Gowdru’ has taken a hit too. He joked sarcastically- ” They ask me if I’ve come to clean the car or buy the car, Saar.”
Of course my dad reminded him to shut up and clean.
For engg guys like me, who graduate this year… byaadoo byaadu..
Cheers..!!
Arjun
February 24, 2009 at 3:03 pm |
Vijay sir….by any chance nam mane pakka ideera neevu:)) reason i am asking is because everything sounds so familiar..Shetru (grocery store opp to my house), computer shop, barber shop (3-4 blocks away from my house)..haha
As always, great narration!!
February 24, 2009 at 3:22 pm |
“That big fellow has to employ 30 people” says Shettru. “On the other hand, ours is a family business”.
—Mmm, rightly said. And you can look at the never ending crowd around the roadside paanipuris and bajji-bonda–wallas; recession or not, they’ll always thrive.
And have you noticed that the rates of paani-puri and bondas have suddenly gone up? I asked one of them and he said ,’recessionnu saar, Gotthillva?’ Smart guys!
February 25, 2009 at 12:58 am |
Yeah, probably, it’s the case of a blade of grass withstanding a storm better than the tree, eh?
February 25, 2009 at 3:24 am |
@arjun: Ask gowdru to watch out he might end up with a car.. and dont worry you guys will do just fine..
@pushpa: I guess every area in South Bangalore has what I described within walking distance.. Bsk is no different
@vishwa: LOL..ya really smart
@rada: Thats one way of looking at it..
February 25, 2009 at 3:49 am |
For some reason I’ve always tend to give my business to smaller home-owned coffee shops/stores than the bigger chains, recession or otherwise. But nice to see the smaller local vendors hold their own in times like these.
-g
February 25, 2009 at 3:58 am |
Shettru’s philosophy sounds good
February 25, 2009 at 5:07 am |
It boggles my mind how everybody is getting hit by the recession (or downturn as they like calling it)!
Hopefully things will get better some time soon, though for now it just keeps getting worse!
February 25, 2009 at 6:02 am |
[...] Byaadu for some, not too bad for others How happy am i with my job [...]
February 25, 2009 at 5:27 pm |
Ya, the recession seems to have turned it all into a price war again. Check out this link for some rather interesting recession consequences: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4689
February 26, 2009 at 1:44 pm |
Apparently people are not getting their haircuts as often as they used to.
I had a haircut today. I usually order a “trim” but this time I said, “Cut it really short, it’s the same price, isn’t it?”
Now I won’t have to go back for 3 months, instead of every six weeks or so. How long before hairdressers start charging more for the more hair they cut off? They’ve got to fight back!
February 27, 2009 at 11:59 pm |
vijay
yes when topic of big retailers entering we had long discussion and I felt these small retailers attched with home services and personal touch will survive and I am proved right. with all big euphora from chain stores reliance, more, neelgriris foodworld still the personalised shope of shetru is going on. recession effects your have nicely put it.
yes there is is every reason and chance why haircuts are to be charged less they will resort to more as they have no choice the have to live and let live.
wonderful topic for pondering over
good work keep going
pranesh
February 28, 2009 at 5:27 pm |
I love your site!
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Experiencing a slow PC recently? Fix it now!
March 1, 2009 at 3:13 am |
@gauri: Its tough but they hang on..lower overheads I think..
@chethan:
@amreekan: Its a global phenomenon..
@shivya:interesting link.. thanks LOL at #7
@ray: Now that you’ve given them the idea they probably will..
@pranesh: thanks
March 2, 2009 at 8:17 am |
[...] has a post about small business / local convenience stores. He says “Looks like the smaller businesses [...]
March 4, 2009 at 1:39 pm |
Vijay, a thought for the day. Please tell your cricket authorities to NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT sending a team to Pakistan. My God!
March 5, 2009 at 12:58 am |
@Ray: I think it will be a looooong time before anyone goes there
March 9, 2009 at 9:55 am |
[...] Related Post: Recession not bad for all [...]
March 13, 2009 at 11:10 am |
It seems our loss is your gain over in Bangalore, Vijay: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25180867-664,00.html
A UNION today described ANZ’s decision to send 500 Australian jobs to India as a “kick in the guts”.
The bank, which slashed 800 roles under a program completed last month, is relocating up to 500 local jobs to its processing centre in Bangalore….
… ANZ has had an operations and technology centre in Bangalore since 1989 and has about 3000 ANZ staff working there.
Don’t worry, Aussies don’t resent Indians getting their jobs. We just resent this Australian bank (ANZ), which makes billions of dollars in profits, acting so callously in the country from which it draws most of its profits.
June 23, 2009 at 5:46 am |
Thank you for your post