The future of Kiranas is not a question of physical stores versus online stores, but how digitization can complement both, taking the omnichannel route.

While many businesses had shut down their operations during the Covid-19 pandemic, the local Kirana store owners became unsung heroes through uninterrupted supplies to their customers.

Post-pandemic, Kirana stores, which generally have a personal rapport with consumers, have been building their local communities through social media (mostly on Whatsapp) and oftentimes having their own delivery partners.

According to a survey by Snapbizz, smart Kirana stores are the best proposition for the shopper not just in terms of order fulfillment but also in terms of prices.