Soundarapandi Stores

Soundarapandi Stores is tucked away on Tiruvalluvar Street in Manali. Specifically, we are in the Chinnasekkadu area. It is a quiet part of town compared to the main city of Chennai. We sell everyday items that the local families need for their kitchens and homes. Most customers are people who have lived in Manali for many years. We know their kids and we have seen them grow up right before our eyes. The shop is not very big, but we try to make use of every inch of wall space we have. Bags of rice are stacked in the corner and smaller items hang from the ceiling hooks to save room. It gets quite hot in the afternoons, so a small fan hums away all day near the counter. Sometimes we sit on the wooden bench outside when there are no customers to attend to. It is a good way to see what is happening on the street. No fancy brands are carried here, just the regular stuff that people trust and can afford for their families. Every morning, the milk delivery comes in, and that is our busiest time of the day. After that, it is just a steady flow of people looking for matches, tea dust, or some soap. We like the pace of things here. It is not a fast-moving business, but it is steady and it keeps us busy enough to stay out of trouble and keep our regular customers happy with what they need.