Mill Stores (Madras) Private Limited

Our shop is on Angappa Naicken Street, specifically at 236-A. People around here still call it by the old number, 142. We’ve been here for ages, and the building shows its age a bit, but it’s sturdy. Mill Stores (Madras) Private Limited is really just about selling parts and tools that people need for their machinery. It’s a bit dark inside because of all the tall shelves packed with metal bits and hardware. There is a specific smell of oil and iron that never really goes away. We know where everything is, even if it looks like a mess to someone walking in off the street. We don’t have a website that does much; most people just come in or call the landline. We write out receipts by hand mostly. It's a slow way of doing things, but it works for us. My father used to run things the same way. We have a lot of regulars who come in because they know we usually have that one weird bolt or valve they can’t find anywhere else. We don’t spend money on advertising. Word of mouth is enough in this part of town. The street outside is always full of carts and people, and we are just a part of that landscape. It’s not a glamorous business, but it’s steady and it keeps us busy from morning until the shutters go down. We just focus on keeping the stock levels right for our regular customers.