Every few days the wife goes into a research & analysis session.
Mission: Decide on the procurement of the next round of veggies & groceries. Who, What & Where are the critical factors.
Vegetables, grocery items and packaged goods continue to be in limited supply at the local stores.
Online deliveries from Bigbasket, Amazon & Grofers are zero. Either no stock, or delivery slots.
Each one of them is having their issues. Who do you blame?
The owner of the local grocery shop in our area lives 15kms away from his shop. In the absence of public transport & lack of vehicle ownership he has to make the journey most often on foot. As a result of this hardship he keeps the shop open by prior notice only on select days of the week.
Add to the personal commute challenge there is the struggle in getting regular supplies. Most of the wholesalers either don’t have stock or don’t have the capacity to deliver – no support staff to load & drive the vans.
Two of my staff members took an overnight bus and rushed to their village on Friday 20th March, the very day our Chief Minister announced a lock down in Maharashtra. Their parents worried for their safety in the big city and wanted them to be at home. Who can you blame?
Like this a large-scale exodus has happened from the major metros (which we have seen all over the news) where is the human resource to help complete the supply chain and last mile deliveries? Who can you blame?
So I think, before we start the blame game and point fingers at the government or trade associations or the e-commerce players (who have been blamed to hell) we must consider the human aspect.
Are these essential service providers being given the same respect as doctor? Ironic because in the current scenario even the doctors are being abused.
Who is responsible in ensuring the work force is out there? Can the government not only mandate but also ensure the smooth operation of the local grocery store? How does a large player like bigbasket fulfill orders in the absence of their runners? Who can be blamed?
Photo by Boris Dunand on Unsplash
Kapil's Korner 