Shopkeepers at Ritchie Street have kept up with the times to stave off competition.
Story so far: Ritchie Street was the go-to area to get some electronics like radios and transistors. In the 1970s and 80s, the place saw a boom. The electronics market expanded in the late 80s and 90s, with computers and tape recorders becoming available. Now, there are about 2,000 registered shops with several unregistered ones. Most of them sell phones, laptops, cameras, watches, etc.
- For some shopkeepers, the advent of e-commerce means the business has become tricky. Customers will compare prices and ask for a reduction. Some use e-commerce sites to sell their products outside the state.
- While some shops don’t sell fake goods, others do. One shopkeeper said people from electronic brands raid these shops. Some people even use electronic items as collateral for short-term loans, like a pawn shop.
Managing e-waste: Darwin Annadurai of Eco Society India said the first step is to identify how much e-waste the city generates and consider whether shops have space for storage. Working out the logistics will be a challenge. Another issue is that there aren’t many e-waste handlers in the city, and the quantity generated is increasing daily.