Federation of Retailer Association of India (FRAI) urges government to empower kirana stores at New Delhi event (#1688605)

The Federation of Retailer Association of India urged the government to empower kirana stores and help them to compete effectively in India’s swiftly evolving retail industry with technological support at its recent event in New Delhi. 

The FRAI’s event in the capital addressed kirana store concerns that the rise in quick commerce in India will harm their business, Indian Retailer Bureau reported. Many quick commerce businesses retail similar products to kirana stores, such as personal care, beauty, and grocery items, and deliver from their respective e-commerce stores in a matter of minutes by using dark stores to which some kirana store owners have attributed some of their increasing financial issues. 

“Our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always had the best interests and admiration for the small traders in his heart,” said member of parliament Praveen Khandelwal at the event, Indian Retailer Bureau reported. “The government, under his leadership, is fully attuned to the challenges faced by small retailers and is committed to addressing their needs. I also fully understand the difficulties that kirana stores are facing due to the rise of quick commerce players. These platforms are pushing near-expired goods, stale fruits and vegetables, and engaging in deep discounting and predatory pricing, all while operating through dark stores. We will take up these issues in the parliament and beyond to ensure that such practices are addressed and that Kirana stores are protected.”

The Federation of Retailer Association of India represents around 80 lakh micro, small, and medium enterprises spread across India through 42 retail associations. The traders body asked the government to help protect kirana stores and help them access the technology needed to retail amongst foreign backed large businesses. 

“The kind of products stored by these dark stores are similar to those that are found in the kirana store,” said the FRAI’s joint secretary Gulab Khoda. “But the quick delivery or discounts offered by the quick commerce players cannot be matched by the local grocery store. Indeed, the dark stores are creating a situation where the future of kirana stores is looking very dark.”