If you are a resident of East Auckland and the adjacent areas, you would be a regular visitor to 9 Cardiff Road in Pakuranga.
If you are a resident of South Auckland, you would be a regular customer at 59 Churchill Avenue in Manurewa.
Both are ‘Mini Supermarkets’ under the Moshims Discount House banner, owned as franchises by an Indo-Fijian family, with their owners sincerely caring about customer satisfaction.
Both stores retail Indian, Middle Eastern and Pakistani bulk foods and spices. Halal meat, chicken, Fiji fish, vegetables, fruits, Indian sweets and snacks are among the specialities.
There are times when the checkout counters of both retail shops are busier than their mainstream counterparts and there are occasions when it would be difficult to find a place to park your car at either of these places.
Personal attention
But there would be no cause for you to complain that the item that you needed to take home was not available. Arvin & Anjali Shankar, and Jitendra (Jit) and Sarveena Kumar, who manage respectively the Pakuranga and Manurewa outlets know when the stock of a product would run out and before long take steps to replenish it. They do not need the service of a computer for inventory control. Their minds are ever alert.
And on that once-in-a-blue-moon occasion when an item of your preference is off the shelf, you will receive a smile, with an apology and guarantee that it would be available the following day. Just how they manage is another story.
Customer satisfaction may be a challenge but Arvin and Jit constantly achieve what is often elusive or impossible.
“Retailing is like any other service business. We must understand the needs of the customers and fulfil them, provided they are in our range. The market is tough but people must spend on milk, bread and other essentials. We help them to shop for all their domestic needs with low prices,” Arvin and Jit said.
Viraf Todywalla, who does most of his purchases at the Pakuranga outlet agreed, saying that he has had no occasion to shop elsewhere.
“Be it rice, wheat, flour, spices, fruits and vegetables or snacks, everything is available at Moshims Discount House. I do not have to walk long from my house, and within the retail store, everything is within reach,” he said.
Branded items
An increasing number of Indians, Pacific Islanders, Maoris, Asians and people of European ethnicity are finding the two supermarkets the best for their daily or weekly requirements. Except for those shopping for wine or beer, everything could be purchased at either of the two Moshims Discount House stores. These would range from chapattis, rotis and other bread (both fresh and frozen), several types of rice, wheat, flour, pickles and other items to suit one’s budget, soft drinks and juices, readymade and ready-to-cook packet meals, confectionery, skincare, oral care and other products and toiletry items.
Nagalakshmi Rani, who is also a regular shopper at Pakuranga, said that she is able to continue using her brand of toothpaste made in India. “There are also several other brands that you cannot find in major supermarkets like Countdown and Pak N Save. These are Indian soaps, hair oils, first aid medicines and many other items that are good for the body,” she said.
While people from India and the Sub-Continent are assured of the brands that appease them, customers of all ethnicities can be assured of their daily milk, bread and dairy products which are fresh and perhaps cheaper than other places.
Being a part of the Moshims franchise chain offers the two retail outlets advantages of wholesale purchase and pricing, which in turn become benefits for customers.
In addition, Arvin and Jit source other products direct from manufacturers or main importers and distributors exporters around the world so that the benefit of low prices is passed on to customers.
Both retails shops stock items supplied by the main Moshims establishment and a number of other brands. Stocks of ready-mix, snacks, fruit drinks and other items of several renowned brands including MTR, Gits, Haldiram are available here.
Goodwill earned
Those keen on entertainment can hire DVDs of popular Hindi films, apart from purchasing choice TV serials and music on CDs.
Operating a retail store that is open for almost 100 hours a week, managing staff shifts and ensuring that stocks are constantly replenished are all arduous challenges but for Arvin & Anjali and Jit & Sarveena, these are the best parts of their lives.
“There is a certain pleasure is seeing our customers, many of who are our good friends, at least once a week when they do their shopping. They tell us of their experience with the products they buy, which in turn helps us to improve. Finally, our reward is in their smile, knowing that they have been well served.”
