Retailers resort to covert methods to get their supplies

Retailers are resorting to covert methods such as mid-night deliveries and using smaller vehicles to get supplies of perishable products as the truckers’ strike continues for the fourth day, disrupting the movement of supplies across the country.

A few retailers in the national capital region (NCR) and Mumbai said they were shelling out extra money to the truck owners to get the supplies at night.

“The supply of fruits and vegetables is a serious issue as they have to be picked from the market almost everyday. We have got arrangement with the truck owners who take some extra money to supply at night,” said a grocery retailer in the NCR.

As supplies are critical for the running of the stores, retailers are employing all methods to get timely supplies. For instance, Delhi-based REI Agro group’s 6Ten chain of retail outlets, get its supplies through tempos and three-wheelers. “Most of our stores are small and that is why, we are not dependent on trucks for our supply.”, said Danish Beg, assistance finance controller, 6Ten Retail.

According to a senior Future Group official, Kishore Biyani’s Future Group may face problems in moving furniture and fittings to the places where it is opening new stores if the strike continues. The group is opening three Big Bazaar stores in Surat in Gujarat, Thinsukhiya in Assam among others in January.

“When truckers are on strike, we need to work extra hard on the supplies until the condition improves. Mid-night supplies or early morning ones are all needed to run the stores,’’ said the official.

Other big retailers such as Spencer’s said they may look at alternative sourcing methods if the situation does not improve in the next five days.

“The truckers’ strike has not yet had an any effect on our sourcing because we stock essential items for two weeks. We have around 17-18 warehouses in India right now. Perishable goods, like fruits and vegetables, are stocked for a week. If the strike continues for over a week, we will be hit and will have to look at alternate sourcing methods. We will take a call after five days, if the strike continues,” said a spokesperson for Spencer’s.

Added a Reliance Retail official, “We have our own vehicles and stations to fill the fuel.’’

(with inputs from Pradipta Mukherjee)