Kanchan Fancy & General Stores

Right at Gandhi Chowk in Bali, you’ll see Kanchan Fancy & General Stores. It’s a very central spot, so everyone who passes through the chowk sees us. We’ve been here for a good amount of time. The store is a mix of general items and fancy goods. By fancy, we mean things like cosmetics, bangles, and small gifts. It’s what people in Bali look for. I usually sit at the entrance so I can see everyone coming and going. Gandhi Chowk is always full of activity, especially in the evenings. Our shop is just one of many, but we have our regular customers. We don't have a very long address, just the chowk itself. The place is packed with inventory from floor to ceiling. It can be a bit hard to find things sometimes if you don't know where they are, but I know every inch of the shelves. It’s a local business, nothing corporate about it. My family has been in trade for a long time. We keep the doors open six days a week, sometimes seven if it's a festival season. People come in to browse and often end up buying something they didn't know they needed. That’s just the way it goes. It’s a humble place and we like it that way. No big advertisements, just word of mouth. The dust from the road comes in sometimes, so we spend a lot of time dusting the boxes. It’s part of the job. Bali is a small place.