Two things in our country unfailingly attract considerable, rather frenzied, public attention. One of them is the word ‘FRESH’, the sheer appeal of which transcends all barriers of age and sex and effortlessly overrides all conceivable constraints on the pocket. Look at it this way - when it actually comes down to shopping for goodies, ‘fresh’ seems to carry more weightage than anything else. Crafty corporate honchos always lookout for ‘fresh’ graduates who are eager to lap up ‘experience’ for peanuts in return. ‘First time unlucky’ seniors in colleges endure water, weather and sore posteriors perching precariously on pole railings and waiting until eternity, just to have that sublime glimpse of ‘fresh’ faces among the juniors! And how many times did you have to gulp down morsels of ‘fresh’ paneer or chicken bought from the neighbourhood departmental store that felt, smelt and tasted like Ceat tyres….born tough.eh?
The applications of ‘fresh’ are really awe-inspiring.
You have a whole assortment of ‘fresh’ soaps, talcs and deodorants to drive away all your indigenous / accidentally acquired body odours.
You don ‘fresh’ cotton undergarments, which not only adds to your ‘interior decoration’ but at the same time, leaves you bursting at the seams with nayi taazgi!.
When you booze, you add ‘fresh’ fruit juices to perk up your cocktails.
While visiting your local CD/DVD wallah *you take him aside and quietly ask for ‘fresh’ *maal interesting enough to invigorate your ‘family life’(don’t read too much into this; I only meant good, wholesome movies like Red, Honeymoon Travels etc. etc. which you and your ‘family’ can cosily watch together).
You always love juicy, oven ‘fresh’ buns into which you can merrily sink your pugnacious teeth at teatime. You could be forgiven for imagining that bun to be not just a trivial bakery item, but something more meaningful like your boss’ behinds!(by the way….what would you call this? Back-biting? Or hind-sight?
And….you always hunt for ‘fresh’ mosquito repellents, tissues, napkins(of all kinds), towels, biscuits, batteries, refills, ‘fresh’ cough drops, mints, digestive drops, purgatives, pills, ‘fresh’ relationships, dates, secretaries, bosses, jobs….I mean, the yearning for anything ‘fresh’ in life is virtually eternal.
The second thing which has moved mountains of public attention in India is ‘RELIANCE’. The nation’s blue eyed boy, Sensex’s sex appeal and investors’ Aishwarya, Reliance is the juggernaut which drives at least a couple of wheels of the Indian economy today. It is broadly accepted(though sceptics exist) that God helps those who help themselves. And for those who are beyond God’s scope of help, the general opinion is that there is Reliance. The other day, I was particularly struck by a flash of brilliance from an elderly woman who suggested that Reliance should come up with ‘Groom Stores’ where genuine grooms of all specifications would be available at attractive prices. No haggling, no hassles. Just choose and pick. They’d anyway provide you with a trolley having four intact wheels / balls. Refrigeration would ensure long shelf life….no sour relationships in the bargain. Free home delivery would be an added advantage.
Given the overwhelming import of these two expressions considered separately, you can very well judge the impact ‘RELIANCE FRESH’ had when it opened stores in the Pink City a couple of months back. Putting together this brilliant name for their retail stores has almost won the battle for them. The combination is as breathtaking as ‘Swimsuit Sawant’ …or say ‘Virgin Paris(the City of course)’. And since public attention is by and large a function of profound womanly interest, these stores were destined to be patronised by ‘home ministries’ who found it a rather cool place to socialise and share their scorn for their ‘external affairs misters’! The rush, particularly in the first few days was so overwhelming that the traffic cops had to arrange for detours to avoid a log jam.
So we finally come to ‘RELIANCE FRESH – Detail of the Retail’
External appearance and Entry: Bright red glow sign, pretty impressive. Huge glass windows. Guards. Boys and girls in red. Even a frontdesk with three pretty girls and a bloke. Next to the imported fruits. Very innovative indeed. A welcoming announcement too.* “Reliance fresh mey aapka swagat hai”
Inside: Front desk and girls already described. Central AC…effective. Large chiller compartment with fluorescent lights having exotic fruits and veggies. Ageless apples from China and USA competing fiercely for balance of power. Seedless grapes(as large as lemons) from France. Exotic Kiwi fruit. Broccoli, lettuce, celery, purple cabbages, colourful capsicum. Most, if not all, outrageously overpriced. Therefore only appreciated from a distance. Sometimes softly fondled by enthusiastic first timers. But hardly any takers. Poorer Indian brethren(apples) in a separate ghetto outside the chiller trays. Sidelined.
Lots and lots of mangoes in a separate rack. 8 varieties in total. King of fruits….aam aadmi’s fruit. Alphonso at Rs. 120 per kg(week 1)…too sour…few takers….Rs 100(week 2)…still sour… extravaganza at Rs 89(week 3)….mega bonanza at Rs. 60(week 4)….Alphonso pulp for Rs. 50(once in a lifetime offer…week 5)…arre koi to le jaao.….alphonso rot-meal for Jaipuri cows ….week 6.
Better outcome for vegetables though. Price a good 15-20% less than outside. But is there a compromise in quality…I wonder. The cauliflower looks just a little blighted, every seventh brinjal has a cavity(I strongly believe that outside it is the tenth which has a cavity), karelas all subtly twisted at the wrong angles, though the potatoes, onions, tomatoes, turnips, gourds, beans etc good enough. Mixed bag actually…but enjoyable…very satisfying experience to search for that perfect ladyfinger among the lot(when was the last time you searched so passionately for a perfect ladyfinger?). Grocery in a separate section. Reliance everywhere. Reliance rice, Reliance tea, Reliance *masalas, *Reliance pulses….other brands are also there, but I believe that Reliance is looking forward to establish its monopoly in the retail sector. Separate counter for bakery items and the juiciest of buns. Toiletries, cosmetics all neatly arranged. Frozen foods, soft drinks, confectionaries, milk products, eggs. Even mobile phone too. Novel experience indeed.
Billing: Huge beeline….but you don’t mind really. Standing between Mrs. Gupta ahead and Ms. Kapoor behind, you attentively listen to their interesting chit chat, pretending all the while that you are interested ‘elsewhere’. When your number comes, you pay the amount to an ever-smiling salesgirl, flash your 32 at Ms Kapoor(Gupta Aunty has left meanwhile) and trot off to your vehicle parked outside with a Reliance banda hauling your bags for you.
Overall observations: Trademark Reliance. Endearing. Impressive. Practical. But one must never forget the age old adage…while shopping, always keep your purse tight and your eyes wide open.
Thanks as always for reading my stuff. Comments are welcome.
Sudipto Chakravarty