THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Anything ethnic is chic! And it’s not always that such ‘trend sutras’ dawn upon state-sponsored ventures. So when ‘Jeerakasala’ and ‘Gandhakasala’, two ethnic rice varieties from Wayanad, and other exotic ‘madam’ stuff are lined up in attractive packing, the city folks find it a wow.
It has been a week since the Agro Super Bazaar opened in the city - the one-stop-shop for all agro-farm products and implements - set up by the Agro Industries Corporation. A visit to the bazaar, housed on the same compound of the Corporation in Fort, told us that the place is pretty abuzz with city-zens, who are an impressed lot. We met housewives who had come for ‘special varieties of rice’ and old men who had come looking for knick-knacks for their backyard gardens and agriculturists who came to check out the farm implements.
One cannot help but give a kudos to the spic and span showroom which displays household essentials such as rice, honey and pickles along with bulky equipment like tillers and mowers to neatly packed ready-to-use bio-fertilizer range - everything from cow dung to poultry droppings in polythene covers that you can pick and drop in your shopping cart along with your grocery.
And it has humoured the new age customer who would rather part with some more bucks than get soiled trying to buy it cheap. Said Kiran and Savitha, a young couple, both bank employees, who had come to the shop because their colleague was all praise on it. “If you can market indigenous products like this, then there will be takers for sure. We go for retail chains mainly because of convenience,” they said.
The ‘Ethnic Corner’ was emptied of its first set of stocks in the very first week. Meanwhile, packed natural fertilizers and ready-to-use potting mixture which can be emptied into flower pots that you can buy from the same shop and other hassle-free products are getting good sales.
Rajendran, a retired Titanium employee, had come to check out the agricultural implements and was trying to wield a grass cutter when we met him. He had read about the bazaar in newspapers and seemed to be happy. “I have a few acres of land and has turned a full-time farmer after retirement. Pricing is quite low here for branded products. You can buy cheaper things at the craft fairs, but they may not be original,” he said. Deepa, a housewife from Attukal, heard about the shop from her cousin. “Recently, there was an ‘Adivasi mela’ at Kariyavattom and it was when I saw ‘Mulayari’ and the ethnic rice varieties. So when I heard that this shop has such products, I came here,” she said.
The shop is also attracting customers from the lower rungs because of its price advantage. Komalam, a casual labourer who lives across the street, was on her second visit. “Last time I bought rice and this time I bought more household items. I think I could save more here,” she said.
Agro deputy manager Praveen C Mathen and divisional engineer Sajeev S said that the Corporation plans to expand the showroom to the upper storeys of the building. Their enthusiasm sure reflected in the ambience that is quite a rarity in similar shops. Songs from latest movies were played inside the showroom which also has a Café Coffee Day counter and a snack corner. The bazaar is poised to be a hot shopping hub in the coming days.
trivandrum@expressbuzz.com
