From a single 100 sq.ft store in 1973 in Daman to five stores as of date, Shree Food Corner presents an inspiring story of small town success in retail. Their journey offers an object lesson in facing off the early stage challenges – financial and manpower – that every budding entrepreneur and experienced retail companies alike can learn from. Progressive Grocer speaks to the founders to know of their business model and how they have kept the business ticking.
The story of Shree Food Corner dates back to the early years of 1970s when Ashok Rana and his wife Usha shifted from their ancestral village to a small town in Gujarat – Daman. Armed with the experience of running a small kirana (local mom and pop store) store in Kalay, they unanimously decided to carry forward with their expertise in this business. With the help from family and a few friends, they opened a 10x10 sq.ft. sized kirana store in Daman.
Back then, the store was called Mahalaxmi Traders. Recounting their yesteryears’ experience, which laid the foundation for Shree Food Corner, Ashok Rana says: “With literally no money and surrounded by the perils of setting foot in a new place, we encountered many struggles initially. But with the help from our family who agreed to lend us some money, we purchased a parcel of land in the main market and built our home and shop on it. With the shop set up, I quickly learned the nuances of running a kirana store in Daman by meeting with the suppliers in the town. Back then, the supply chain linkage was weak and we had to travel to Mumbai often to get our stocks.”
Supporting Ashok Rana was his wife Usha Rana who still plays an active role in running the business. Since 2012, their son Harsh Rana too has joined the family business supported by his wife who joined in 2016.
Turning Point
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