Networked commerce and the power of India’s kirana

TBWA\India’s Satish Krishnamurthy and Vishwajit Vyas say the kirana mom-and-pop shops’ communal commerce during the pandemic shows that networked commerce is the new retail reality in India.

It was a banner year for Indian kirana as retail outlets were shuttered and stay-at-home orders were enforced, then extended.

India’s humble yet powerful kirana small shop owners leapfrogged into the future. Already with 95% of the food and grocery business and close to 80% of the entire trade, their market dominance only increased during the pandemic. 

Why? Because they were relied upon more than ever as everyone stopped going to the big-ticket shops and depended on that one phone call to the kirana.

From the investment banking executive to the government bank clerk, all were probably getting their staples...

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