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NEW DELHI, Sept. 13

THE desi version of the American $1 stores - where the customers can pick up quality goods at a price of a $1 or less - may soon be a reality here if the Minister for Small-Scale Industries and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Ms Vasundhara Raje, has her way.

As a first step in that direction, the maiden desi version of such a store - the Kendriya Bhandar at Netaji Nagar in Delhi - opens its door to customers on September 19.

While the dream of buying everything for the rupee equivalent of a US dollar may still be a dream, the ambience and environment of the dollar stores may be recreated in the consumer co-operative stores which have grown from just one store in 1963 to 119 at present.

Addressing a press conference here today, Ms Raje said the profit-making consumer co-operative, Kendriya Bhandar had drawn up a blueprint for growth and expansion by opening more stores.

The plan envisages the Bhandar offering its customers a better shopping experience through improved ambience in the stores and expanding the range of products it has to offer.

Besides, the co-operative is also upgrading the internal layout of its stores and, for this purpose, the entire chain is being categorised into `gold', `silver' and `copper' standard stores.

"The idea of these new stores is to have an enjoyable shopping experience and, at the same time, get what is required at a good price. In that sense, we are tapping some of the concepts of the shops under the $1 stores which exist in the US," the Minister said.

The co-operative, which retails consumer goods, groceries, stationery, office equipment and furniture, reported a turnover of Rs 261.60 crore during 2001-02.

A survey conducted by the co-operative shows that 48 per cent of the sales of consumer and grocery items is accounted for by Government employees, while the rest is by other customers.

"With Central Government employees constituting around one per cent of the total population of the country and the vast untapped corporate sector, there is a great potential for us to leverage our national network and improve our share of non-governmental business," officials said. Government officials said that around Rs 80 lakh would be spent on doing up eight stores in Delhi alone.

And it is not only the shopping experience that the Minister hopes to change.

With the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) also under her wing, Ms Raje is also hoping to change the `looks' of one of the most prominent offices complexes in Lutyen's Delhi - the North Block— which houses, among others, the Ministries of Home and Finance.

"In our effort to make the office paperless, we hope to have smart cards for people who want to enter, proper air conditioning, and modern gadgetry," the Minister announced.

So, if there is a change in your shopping experience or your interface with the Government in the near future, well, you know whom to thank.

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