The Largest Indian Retailer
July 2008: In aggregate, Paan walas are arguably the largest retailers of India, by daily volume of customers and by country-wide reach/penetration. Several large organized retailers of India rely on the paan-walas for their last-mile distribution and therefore their business. You are more likely to find a paan shop on an Indian street than toilets, drinking water or aspirin. Here is a paan wala in Kurla (Mumbai) trying to read the deals advertised on a Chaupaati leaflet while one of his 1,000 daily customers distracts him with a 10 rupee note.
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The companion blog to Chaupaati, India's phone bazaar to buy branded products directly from the source. We go directly to brands and exclusive distributors to bring products at great prices, quality and service at your doorstep. Ab karo phone pe deal!
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- Diary (3)
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- How To (4)
- Learnings (26)
- On The Street (10)
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They are not only the largest, they make the most money. Pan sells at 100% margin, Cigarette and other tobacco products are sold at 22-25% margin, other FMCG are a tib-bit lower but still good money. Moreover, smart pan-shop owners in large urban centers buy their stock every hour, so on average 50-55% returns on an hour’s investment 12 times a day, 365 days a year.
You’ve got it right guys! Why didn’t I think of it (so obvious in hindsight) before you.
Yes, thats true
In fact I have read somewhere that in UP the daily business of paan and supaari is of around 7 crore