Nadar Kadai - Local Grocer Shop

In these days of Hyper-Super Malls and Supermarkets, overwhelmed at the sheer size and varieties, a feeling of Nostalgia triggered this post.

Those were the days, the nadar kadai had a special location requirement - like Muchandhi pillayar, the Indian God of Prosperity whos mini-sized temple are found almost always at a 3 road junction - The nadar kadai's had to be at a road junction - almost every locality, every little Borough and Lane and Pin-code in Chennai had a Nadar Kadai - they typically are general provisions merchant. Almost always run by a Nadar who are a enterprising group of people typically from the state of Thirunelveli in Southern Tamilnadu and they formed an important role in Effective Management Practices well before Business Schools started teaching the MBA, continue reading to know know how and please pay special attention to the letters marked in ALL CAPITAL letters.

Those were the days when The typical Nadar kadai will be dark, cramped, and smelly. It will be painted a drab Govinda (yellow) color - remanents of a badly done paint job from the previous century - flakes of this paint will always be peeling off - lit by a single fly specked 40 watts electric Bulb - carry rickety old name boards ( made out of flattened recycled Edible Oil Tin Cans.. I think) invariably named as Murugan Stores, Amman Stores, Jyothi Stores, some Lakshmi Stores etc.

PERSONNEL

It will have, in its employ, three muscular young men, collectively called "Payya", wearing a very checked lungi and yellowish (bordering on brown) arms banian (soaked in sweat). It will almost always have a few gunny sacks in the entrance, each filled rice, tamarind and kal Uppu (rock Salt).

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Also vying for space with these would be the stacks of crates for empty cool drink bottles. Oils were stacked on aluminium trays (so that when the oil cans leak they can be collected back, and probably poured back into the cans).

Inside, shelves are crammed with glass jars neatly stacked with all kinds of biscuits and 'cakes'. 'Cooling drinks' bottles, notebooks, pens, pencils, bangles, 'sticker pottus' and other merchandise.

A few paper mache stacks of eggs give company to covers of Plastic toys in striking pink, Yellow, Red and Green. Across the length and breadth of the shop, run grimy ropes from which hang ream after ream of sachets.

Sachets of chips, kodal ( the yellowish fries which you wear like rings on your fingers), Sunsilk and Velvette shampoos, touching touching ( lime pickles), Sugary candies, Chewing gum plus smaller packets of Cashewnut, Cardomom etc - so that a important guest can be hurriedly served payasam or kesari with garnishings.. Of late, this cramped interior also boasts individual refrigerators for Pepsi and Coke.

CONSUMER CREDIT

The Nadar has two kinds of customers - the regulars and the yet-to-be-converted. The regulars are identified by means of their bible they carry - the Account book. This tiny pink book bound with a dark blue binding - lists the purchases the customer has made, the amount he or she owes the store and her ledger number. A rudimentary system of credit, the account book allows a regular customer to buy now, pay later. Note the ever present ball point pen in its holder ( stuck behind the ear)

ORDER PROCESSING

The process of trade begins - our shoppers has his list ready and nadar in a voice that has been tempered by years of shouting to subordinates calls to his payyas - and as if by magic, hands retrive the various items from the dark corners, measure it on the tharasu ( weighing scale), and parcel it up in old newspapers (RECYCLING)- and out materialises the stuff neatly arranged in card board boxes. Nadar, does his calculations on a small piece of paper he has similar sized one side paper spiked on a sharpened gunny needle (FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT) - Once this is done,the amounts are posted into the account book is handed over, the owner makes her strange notations, throws in a few free bees (CUSTOMER ROYALTY PROGRAM) and off the shopper goes.

Its amazing that the above is applicable to all nadar shops - like they are an unofficial chain of retail shops following similar EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT PRACTISE