Two national grocery chains cut shelf prices on rice, flour and cooking oil ahead of the festival fortnight. The reductions are on house brands and on one widely sold oil, and they are advertised at the door rather than only in an app.
Neighbourhood shops say they cannot match the cut. Their wholesale rate has not moved by the same amount, and a single shop cannot spread a discount across hundreds of stores. A traders’ association asked the chains to state how long the shelf price will last, so smaller shops are not accused of overcharging during the comparison.
What happens next
Shoppers in two suburbs said they will split the list: oil and rice from the large store, vegetables and spices from the lane. That split is exactly what the small shops fear for the busiest ten days of the year.
The chains said the lower price is a festival promotion, not a permanent reset. They declined to name the end date on the poster.
Taj Today will update this report if the official numbers or the timetable change. Related coverage stays on the Business page.
