Is the Consumer the King?

 The other day I was at the Grahak Peth. I feel it is always better to buy at a store run by the consumers and for the consumers. That was the way Grahak Peth began in the mid-1970's. I am not very sure, but, I think, due to one of the severest draughts, both the prices and the quality of the goods were in an inverse ratio with each other. As a result, the most abused was the common man.

Papa bought shares of the movement on principle. I added to these in Aai's name. I have also invested in their  f.d. scheme. Moreover, many items are sold there below the MRP, given the contractual agreements, I suppose. As the sum total of all such parameters, every consumer gets good returns for sure, and every which way. In the process, the concept/the movement continues to grow as well. An absolute win-win situation/solution, right?

Otherwise, in the fmg market(place), actually in every market related area, the consumer is at the receiver's end. Let us look at the "within minutes" Swiggy/Zomato, et al, kind of b2c business. Given the city/metro traffic (and distances), more than ten minutes would be necessary for the transport itself. When then is the item cooked? Obviously it must be pre-cooked, and processed with all sorts of harmful preservatives! Most people, addicted to such 'modernity', instead of the fresh food cooked at home, are thus consuming harmful health hazards! Who cares though in that craze to appear 'cool'? No wonder, all sorts of ailments and illnesses are on the rise!

From food to all possible fads, the gullible consumer is deceived and duped through seductive advertisements that never tell the truth. Whatever be the business brand/mode, including the 'gully' to google, the end customer is the one who pays, and in more than one way.  There indeed is no free lunch. Hence the need for consumer rights, consumer courts, consumer concerns. Hence the relevance of the consumer rights day, recently celebrated on March 15.

Pratima@Given the subtle monopoly marketeering, the typical consumer is like the proverbial emperor, without clothes but supposedly grand! Hence the need for awareness raising movements. 

Let us not discuss in this brief piece how the middleman mentality 'manages' both the producer and the consumer. This praxis is  fully operational, whatever be the product. Minimum governance with maximum properly placed, thoroughly debated laws and regulations could be the solution. However, petty politicking could kill the consumer in the final analysis!