Joseph General Store

Andheri East is one of those parts of Mumbai that just keeps moving, and Joseph General Store has been a part of that for a while. Our shop is at Shop No 2 in the Patel Building, which is over in the Chak area. We are located near the Ratan Mahal Hotel, so we often get travelers or people staying there coming in to buy water or some snacks. It is a very busy pocket of the city. The Patel Building is an older structure, and our shop is small, but we pack a lot into it. You will find everything from soap and toothpaste to different types of packaged food. There is always a bit of a scramble in the mornings when the local residents are heading to the station and need something quickly. The noise from the street is constant, but you get used to it after a few days. We don't have any big marketing plans; we just open the shop and make sure we have what people are looking for. It is a lot of manual work, checking the expiry dates and making sure the shelves aren't empty. Sometimes it gets a bit cramped when too many people come in at once, but we manage. Most of the time, it's just about being there when someone realizes they are out of sugar or oil. It’s a simple life in a very crowded city, but we like being here in this building.