Wicker Chairs or Why Small Business Excels

This apartment has wonderful balconies.  They cry out for some kind of wicker grouping.  I had gotten some advice from my expat contact here in Bangalore about where to buy "cane".  I wasn't totally happy with the recomendations.  Here in India there are at least two economies.  One is easier to shop in;  it is high end; it caters to ex-pats and bagains are few and far between in this economy.  The other is a small business economy or what you might consider a "grass roots" economy.  It is harder to shop in; quality can be an issue; accountability is sometimes elusive but pricing is much better and it is too colorful to be ignored.  It is fun to shop in this economy.  There is always a lot of conversation, a lot of arm waving and considerable gaming.  I enjoy it.

Back to my expat's recomendation not quite setting with me.  Wicker in India is known as "cane".  The cane shops that were recomended were in the high end economy.  I kept thinking I should visit them but in the back of mind I was thinking $$$$.  One day my driver and I were coming back from the Jayanagara district.  We were making our way down a narrow neighborhood road when we passed a tiny shop stuffed with cane chairs.  I asked Nagaraj to remember that spot so we could return there.  He let me know this was the neighborhood where he lived and he made note of the location.  About two weeks later I got some time.  I am busier here than I thought I would be.  My days are consumed by work, commuting and evening phone calls.  Often on weekends I have some social activities or I go somewhere.  I thought I might get bored.  So far little chance of that.  I got some time and after some prompting Nagaraj remembered the location.

It was on a Saturday afternoon that we finally got to this adventure.  I had one of our expat visitors, Dan, and his friend, Natesan, coming for dinner that evening at 6:00.  We were on a schedule.  Not always a good place to be in India.  If you're not careful that is a formula for frustration.  I try not to go there.

We got to the little shop about 3:00 PM.  I picked out some chairs and we started the bargaining at 2000 INR a chair.  That's about $45.  We ended up at 1500, about $35.  In my mind the deal was sealed but my driver thought I should go for the next size larger chair.  It took me a minute to convince him I had what I wanted. 

The next step is my favorite.  Small businesses who want your business do some things you would never find in the mainstream shops.  As a final condition of the sale I told the shopkeeper, or rather I told Nagaraj and he told the shopkeeper, I would take four chairs if he could deliver them to my flat in one hour.  Another long conversation.  Hand waving.  Fast talkimg.  The shopkeeper got on his cell phone.  More conversation.  He told Nagaraj something.  OK.  But it will cost me another 400 INR ($9).  It's a deal.  In about 10 minutes a three wheel truck showed up with two guys.  They loaded the chairs and nearly beat us back to my flat.  Try that next time you buy a piece of furniture at Dillards that you want to use that night.