Khushi Shopping Mall is synonymous with a one-stop-shop for anyone residing in and around the Mithilapuri colony, Madhurwada in Vizag. Set up at a time when the area was nothing but barren land, this family’s business has grown to become a landmark of that area.
Mr. Tarakeshwarao is a renowned tailor in his hometown of Kotapilli, Srikakulam. With his growing family, he realised he had to move to Vizag city to provide good education to his children. Once his life as a married man began, he moved to Madhurwada, in 1999. That was a time when Madhurwada was considered a rural town on the outskirts of Vizag city. With very little financial aid, Mr. Tarakeshwarao and Mrs Sunitha started their own business out of their relatives’ house for over 3 years. Subsequently, they took a small house on lease and shifted to Mithilapuri colony. With little to no family support and their first child on his way, the couple did face their share of hardships.
In conversation with Dhanya Kanth from Yo! Vizag, Mrs Sunita relives her past saying, “I was carrying my elder child in my womb when we decided to move out of our relatives’ place and set up shop here. With my husband being out most of the time to procure items for our newly set up shop, it was difficult for me to man the store and look into the daily household chores.” Yet, the couple endured through this tough time as they welcomed their son in the year 2000. Their family grew bigger with the birth of their daughter a couple of years later. With a growing customer base and business going smoothly, they decided to expand their small shop in 2017-18. Well, the growing population in the area caught the eye of a huge chain of supermarkets called DMart which launched its branch within the area at the same time when Khushi Shopping mall was expanding in Vizag. “With business being shut for few months owing to the expansion, all our customers flocked DMart. Even upon reopening, competing with the market was difficult,” recalls Sunitha.
“In a way, the lockdown contributed to our business picking up as we started providing groceries and other essential goods to our customers’ doorstep in the residential colonies of Mithilapuri. That helped us establish a loyal customer base. Right now, business is going better than ever.” gleams Sunitha.
It is the excellent customer service, good quality products, and easy accessibility that drive them to Khushi Shopping Mall say the residents of the Mithilapuri colony.
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