Tale of Rafique the retailer
Rafique’s (name changed) shop used to be a small outlet in the underdeveloped area of Rajarhat in the outskirts of Kolkata. Then yet to be named, his shop was an extension of his small hut adjacent to a newly built housing society with few occupants. In 2017, there was a fridge for dairy products and a room little larger than a goomty for other articles. Rafique had limited his product range to certain SKUs of FMCG products. A few footfalls every day would make his daily routine. Cut to 2021; he now has three shops in the vicinity. His first one expanded to double its size and capacity. He now has a wide range of offerings for the increased number of residents in the housing societies that emerged in the neighbourhood. How was he able to achieve such exponential success? Upon observation, there are a few factors that catapulted him to where he is: 1. The expansion of the city : Kolkata is expanding, much like any other metro city. So it is evident that the immigrating pop