There was a time when you had to visit five different shops in different parts of the town to get your groceries and other household items. With the advent of supermarkets, the five became one. A step ahead is supermarkets inside your apartment complex or gated community, which means that you don’t even need a vehicle to go grocery shopping. Also, urban Indians are no longer bothered about buying the cheapest grocery items possible and prioritize comfort and ease over the economy. In fact, the spending power of each urban household in India will mirror that of identical households in the UK and Germany in the next five years, say studies.*
Here are some of the advantages of having a supermarket in your apartment
Ease of access
It’s a Sunday morning, and you make an impromptu decision to cook biriyani. Don’t have the spices? No worries, run down to the supermarket in your apartment complex, and you are ready in five minutes. Unexpected guests? Your child needs stationery items for school the next day? The supermarket has it all. You could send the children themselves to buy the necessary items, as apartment complexes are safe and under surveillance. The staff in the supermarket would be familiar with the families too after a point, which makes it all the easier.
Light and Air in the House
Let’s face it. Living in a crowded city in a concrete jungle is terrible enough, and you don’t want a stuffy apartment to add to the trauma. A balcony can bring in light and fresh air into the house and project a sense of space. Install netting if mosquitoes are a problem, and there, you can leave your balcony doors open all day! Not only will it cool down the temperature inside, but you also have a place where guests can chill when you are entertaining.
Easier for the elderly to do their shopping
One of the biggest issues in urban India today is senior citizens who don’t have families nearby to help. Even shopping for essential items becomes difficult for the elderly in crowded cities with traffic congestions. A supermarket in the apartment means they don’t need to worry about transport or navigating traffic in their old age. Come rain or shine. They will never be short of essentials.
Easy access to a supermarket would be a lifesaver for senior citizens and anyone tied down, couples in high-pressure jobs, single parents with small children, etc.
It saves time and money
In most metro cities in India, traffic is unending, and a trip to the nearest supermarket could mean half a day and a splitting headache from the traffic jams. While shopping trips are a getaway for those with a lot of time at hand, it’s a nightmare for those with busy lifestyles, and the total amount of time you save would add up to days and weeks. Considering the rising fuel prices, you also save a massive amount of money in the long run.
Healthier lifestyle
Most supermarkets have a small bakery or café attached to them, which means that you will never be hungry, come what may. Want to take a quick snack break between work or household chores? The supermarket will have something hot and piping ready - a sandwich/tea/coffee, etc. Also, many city dwellers order takeaways only because they can’t be bothered to make that grocery shopping trip at the end of a tiring day. Easy access to fresh veggies and other food items means that you cook more and order in less.
*Study Courtesy: Free Press Journal
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