Madina Stores

If you're walking down Whites Road in Royapettah, you’ll find us at number 29/91. Madina Stores has been part of the neighborhood for a long time. It’s a busy corner, and there’s always something going on outside our front door. Inside, it’s packed with stuff from floor to ceiling. We don’t have those fancy wide aisles you see in the big malls. You have to squeeze past a few boxes sometimes. My uncle opened this place years ago, and I took over when my legs started getting tired of the commute elsewhere. We sell a bit of everything that people around here need. Some days are quiet, especially in the afternoons when it’s hot, and other days we can’t even catch a breath. We know most of the people who come in by their first names. They don't come for a corporate experience; they come because they need a specific lightbulb or some sugar and they know we probably have it tucked away somewhere. The shelves are a bit dusty in the corners, but we try to keep things organized enough so we can find what’s asked for. It’s just a normal shop. No big mission statements here, just opening the shutters in the morning and closing them at night. Sometimes the delivery guys block the road, and we have to go out and help them move. It’s just life in Royapettah, and we are glad to be here through all the changes.