The young men were bursting with excitement as they raced towards the bustling Super Bazar, India's first superstore, located near Shankar Market in CP. It was time to spend the 270 they had pooled in to buy the coveted, compact transistor, whose handle did the work of an antenna.
"But we knew it would take us hours to hold that transistor in our hands. The queue outside Super Bazar reached the fire station in Connaught Place's outer circle. It's like how people queue up now to buy the latest iPhone.
Super Bazar was the place to visit at the time," recalled Sharma (70), a retired businessman.
Super Bazar, a six-storey superstore Delhi and India's first which served as a city landmark for decades, now stands lost to time and neglect. It was launched in 1966, months after the 1965 India-Pakistan war, by the Congress-led central government as a measure to keep price rise in check. The supermarket, which was developed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), sold everything from subsidised sugar to palm oil, vegetables to HMT watches, stationery to construction material, even transistors, and, when they eventually became available, computers.
Its glory days were long behind it when it shut in 2002, weighed down by huge losses it incurred since the mid-'90s. As per an April 2018 report by the ministry of consumer affairs, Super Bazar began incurring losses in 1996, due to "overstaffing, failure of management, inadequacy of working capital, and a lack of competitive approach on part of the management." For the last two decades, Super Bazar has been locked in a long, messy arbitration with employee unions over the closure and payment of their dues.
Bu hikaye Hindustan Times dergisinin February 11, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Hindustan Times dergisinin February 11, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
'I WAS TOLD MY BROTHER...NIKHIL WAS COMMERCIAL SUICIDE'
Actor Sanjay Suri on playing an HIV-positive character and the impact it still has, despite receiving no support from the film industry
Divyenndu 'keen' on doing horror, wants to play a vampire
Actor Divyenndu, who was last seen on the big screen with the comedy film Madgaon Express, has said he would \"love to play a vampire\" in a horror film.
World AIDS Day: A guide to understanding HIV and AIDS
While general awareness around HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) has significantly improved over the years, the two conditions are still often confused for each other.
Kashmera doing fine after mishap, says husband Krushna
Fans of actor Kashmera Shah (51), who recently met with a freak accident at a mall in the US while away from her family, can finally heave a sigh of relief. Her husband, actor-comedian Krushna Abhishek (41), says that Shah is doing fine.
Samantha Prabhu's father Joseph passes away
Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently took to social media to share the news of her father Joseph Prabhu's death on her Instagram Story, captioned, \"Until we meet again.\"
'I WANT TO CHALLENGE MYTHS AROUND SOCIAL CONDITIONING'
Actor Shweta Tripathi's iconic character in the Mirzapur web series, Gajgamini aka Golu, was a hit with the audience. And as the series is set to be adapted into a film, fans are thrilled about getting to experience it on the big screen.
'I do not think about the industry's acceptance'
It's been quite an eventful year for actor Sunny Kaushal, whose portrayal of a grey-shade character in Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba has earned him plaudits.
'I FELT LIKE MY 2 LOWER BODY WAS DETACHED'
Actor Rakul Preet Singh, who suffered a back injury in October, reveals how it was a particularly challenging incident in her life
'I still don't know if I was a mean mum'
Dr Madhu Akhouri Chopra, mum of actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, recently revealed that she regretted sending her daughter to a boarding school at the age of seven.
Kluivert's penalty hat-trick makes history, Brentford thrash Leicester
Justin Kluivert scored the first ever Premier League hat-trick of penalties as Bournemouth won 4-2 at Wolves on Saturday and Kevin Schade also scored three in Brentford's 4-1 victory over Leicester.
