There was an apothecary, a bag store, and a flower shop in the shopping district

The shopping street I stumbled upon in Mumbai felt like the ideal marketplace—exactly the kind I had long imagined. There wasn’t a single franchise or corporate chain in sight. Every shop was independently owned: a pharmacy, a bag store, a florist spilling vibrant colors onto the sidewalk. It was the kind of street that exuded character, shaped by the people who ran these businesses, rather than by corporate branding and uniformity.

Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder—how much longer would places like this last? As economies grow and big-name chains continue their relentless expansion, such small, independently run shops inevitably begin to disappear.

It has already happened in Tokyo. Walk through many of its once-thriving shopping streets, and you’ll find that the small, unassuming family-run businesses have all but vanished. From a purely economic standpoint, it makes sense—efficiency wins out in the end. But there’s an undeniable sadness in that loss.

A world where every street looks the same, lined with the same brands, the same stores, and the same experiences—it feels bland, uninspired. And to me, that’s a future that seems just a little too dull.

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