MUMBAI: Of late , food prices have been displaying a whimsical trend across the city , and are being pegged to the preferences of a particular locality. Meat , for instance , is more expensive in Gujarati-dominated areas such as Kandivli and Borivli. On the contrary , foodgrains , vegetables as well as non-vegetarian items are relatively affordable in Nana Chowk Market , a pivotal bazaar of south Mumbai. Tur and moong dal are , in fact , cheaper here than in most suburbs at Rs 70 and Rs 82 a kg , respectively.
Then again , Bandra's Pali Market sells vegetables at a premium than , say , its Bazar Road. Andheri municipal market offers cheaper produce than Lokhandwala Complex. Borivli's Shantivan offers better quality vegetables at cheaper rates than the anaemic yet exorbitant fare at upmarket Raheja Complex a kilometre away. In Mulund , prices drop by an unbelievable 50% just one street away.
Moong dal , which sells at approximately Rs 100 per kg in Mumbai and Rs 110-120 in certain areas , is available for half the price in Vashi's retail market. Subhash Lakhotia , proprietor of Apna Bazar in Nerul , said , "Retailers who pick up food items from the APMC wholesale market tend to adjust retail rates according to the transportation charges. So , prices are often higher in Mumbai than in Navi Mumbai."
Over the past few months , as inflation burns a hole in middle-class pockets , families have been seeking an escape route a little distance away. Working women as well as senior citizens have been opting to pick up vegetables and groceries at weekly bazars or municipal markets. They complain that vendors in upmarket areas not only cheat them by weight , but also behave rudely with bargainers given that upmarket clients pay whatever is quoted.
Retired executive B V Bhandary , who lives in Yogi Nagar , Borivli West , makes a weekly shopping trip to the eastern side of the suburb. "Most times , the vegetables we get in our locality are not even fresh and are yet overpriced. So , every Monday , we prefer to visit the wholesale market in Borivli East , which is close to the railway station. Vegetables there are fresh and are mostly priced up to 50% less. We don't even need to buy in bulk to avail of the lower rates."
A similar situation unfolds in Mulund West , at the junction of two parallel roads - RRT Road and J Nehru Road.
All you have to do is decide which way to turn. R R T Road sells vegetables and fruits to the highrise residents of L B S Marg for a higher price with vendors claiming quality stuff. "Since there are people who pay higher rates , why not sell for higher ?" said one vendor with a shrug. "Moreover , we consistently offer quality produce."
Yet, Nehru Road too has reasonably fresh produce - for 30-50 % less. One hawker was selling potatoes for as little as Rs 5 when his counterpart on the other side was calling out Rs 16. Siliguri resident S K Roy , who was visiting his daughter in Raheja Complex , Borivli , was shocked by the food prices in the locality. "He took a rickshaw and asked the driver to take him to a big vegetable market ," said his daughter. "He came back with bagfuls of fresh vegetables at lower prices from Shantivan , a place even I did not know existed." Bandra businessman Zaki Khambati , who does not fancy lugging heavy shopping bags from another locality , has devised a way to buck the trend.
Every weekend at Pali Market , he stands by and watches as the vendor takes down bulk orders over his phone. "Not one buyer seems to be asking the prices. The vendor only notes the quantity of vegetables by kilos. Never once does he utter the price. Rich women and foreigners who live in the area stop by in cars and simply call out their orders , which are delivered to the vehicle. I wait for the elite and the expatriates to finish their shopping , then bargain over the price ," he said.
Then again , Bandra's Pali Market sells vegetables at a premium than , say , its Bazar Road. Andheri municipal market offers cheaper produce than Lokhandwala Complex. Borivli's Shantivan offers better quality vegetables at cheaper rates than the anaemic yet exorbitant fare at upmarket Raheja Complex a kilometre away. In Mulund , prices drop by an unbelievable 50% just one street away.
Moong dal , which sells at approximately Rs 100 per kg in Mumbai and Rs 110-120 in certain areas , is available for half the price in Vashi's retail market. Subhash Lakhotia , proprietor of Apna Bazar in Nerul , said , "Retailers who pick up food items from the APMC wholesale market tend to adjust retail rates according to the transportation charges. So , prices are often higher in Mumbai than in Navi Mumbai."
Over the past few months , as inflation burns a hole in middle-class pockets , families have been seeking an escape route a little distance away. Working women as well as senior citizens have been opting to pick up vegetables and groceries at weekly bazars or municipal markets. They complain that vendors in upmarket areas not only cheat them by weight , but also behave rudely with bargainers given that upmarket clients pay whatever is quoted.
Retired executive B V Bhandary , who lives in Yogi Nagar , Borivli West , makes a weekly shopping trip to the eastern side of the suburb. "Most times , the vegetables we get in our locality are not even fresh and are yet overpriced. So , every Monday , we prefer to visit the wholesale market in Borivli East , which is close to the railway station. Vegetables there are fresh and are mostly priced up to 50% less. We don't even need to buy in bulk to avail of the lower rates."
A similar situation unfolds in Mulund West , at the junction of two parallel roads - RRT Road and J Nehru Road.
All you have to do is decide which way to turn. R R T Road sells vegetables and fruits to the highrise residents of L B S Marg for a higher price with vendors claiming quality stuff. "Since there are people who pay higher rates , why not sell for higher ?" said one vendor with a shrug. "Moreover , we consistently offer quality produce."
Yet, Nehru Road too has reasonably fresh produce - for 30-50 % less. One hawker was selling potatoes for as little as Rs 5 when his counterpart on the other side was calling out Rs 16. Siliguri resident S K Roy , who was visiting his daughter in Raheja Complex , Borivli , was shocked by the food prices in the locality. "He took a rickshaw and asked the driver to take him to a big vegetable market ," said his daughter. "He came back with bagfuls of fresh vegetables at lower prices from Shantivan , a place even I did not know existed." Bandra businessman Zaki Khambati , who does not fancy lugging heavy shopping bags from another locality , has devised a way to buck the trend.
Every weekend at Pali Market , he stands by and watches as the vendor takes down bulk orders over his phone. "Not one buyer seems to be asking the prices. The vendor only notes the quantity of vegetables by kilos. Never once does he utter the price. Rich women and foreigners who live in the area stop by in cars and simply call out their orders , which are delivered to the vehicle. I wait for the elite and the expatriates to finish their shopping , then bargain over the price ," he said.
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