The free eraser
Yesterday I had to buy some graph paper (to work on the label for my sparkling water brand in analog before going digital), and instead of ordering via Blinkit or another quick commerce service, I walked down the to a nearby store and bought myself some. It was Rs. 30 for a stack of sheets. And then I wanted an eraser, the lady gave me one, and when I tried to pay for it, she smiled and shooed me away. Yes, the eraser just costed Rs. 3, but I was touched. And I will remember that little generosity, with that smile. It reminded me of how Arizmendi bakery on Valencia would also give you a tiny slice of pizza with your pizza order. It also made me think about how more and more of my wallet share goes to ordering from a centralised platform like Blinkit, which would have otherwise gone to the local grocery store, the local stationery store, the local sabziwala and so on. The internet really favours aggregation, which means more volume to the platform and less to the local store-owners, who will also have to become a vassal to the platform to survive. And less little interactions, of someone shooing you away for offering to pay and moments of human generosity.