Behold India's Unmanned Shop Driven by Trust in the Customer

Image: iD Fresh Foods     Is it possible to run a shop where customers can access items and are just trusted to pay for items purchased without any form of monitoring-not even a security camera? As reported in xinhuanet.com, a small store offering popular breakfast and lunch options has been set up in more than a dozen locations in Bengaluru recently with no salesman, shopkeeper or camera eye to check who paid how much, or didn't. The shop runs solely on trust. Customers just open the door and pick up a sachet, and drop cash into a small box attached to the door. Food ranges from sachets of idli/dosa batter, wheat chapatis and Malabar parottas. PC Mustafa, founder of iD Fresh Foods, is peddling a new concept, the Trust Shop. He has set up 17 such shops across 12 residential locations and five KPMG branch offices over the past month. The idea is to trust consumers completely. "Residents have given us positive feedback on how the shop is a reminder of the value that seems to have been lost in today's world," Mustafa said. "It's also convenient since they have 24x7 access to fresh food," he said. The store operates completely un-monitored, with only a cash box where residents can drop off the cost of the product they wish to buy, or pay in installments. The stock is replenished every day, and is considered extremely convenient by working professionals. "We're thrilled with this fridge in our apartment complex because the products are available even when regular shops are closed," said Rahul Gadre, a resident of Bharat Golf View Apartment. The design of the store cannot prevent un-paying customers, and nothing could be done. "But the fact that consumers can be trusted is just great," said Anjali Bhate, a resident. According to the CEO, most consumers pay for what they pick up. "In some apartments, collection is as high as 90% and on some days, it is over 100%," said Mustafa. "Some associations have taken it up as a challenge to ensure 100% payment. It is such a positive feeling within the apartment community and in the iD team," he said. With the pilot project achieving success in Bengaluru, the company is expanding the initiative to Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai.  Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com