Where did all the Rakhi shops go? Quick commerce

“There aren't many Rakhis in the market this year.”
My wife mentioned this a few days ago.

Fewer designs! Fewer shops stocking them!

I wondered where the market had gone.

A few days later, she figured it out:
Quick commerce.

And this morning, I saw it first-hand.
My fellow carpooler was scrolling through a quick-commerce app.
“What are you buying this early?”
“Rakhis.”

She had to send a few home.
Instead of buying them locally → couriering them → waiting...
She could simply order them online and have them delivered directly.

Faster. Cheaper. Easier.

She had even found a branded Silver Rakhi for less than 200 bucks!
And suddenly, the disappearing Rakhi shops made sense.

But this made me think, what does Festive shopping really mean?
A few years ago, it meant:
- Walking through the market.
- Checking dozens of designs.
- Bargaining with the shopkeeper.
- Picking something special.
- Maybe buying sweets on the way back.

The shopping was integral part of the festival.

Today, the Rakhi can arrive at your doorstep in minutes, but with a trade-off.
The neighbourhood shop gets one less customer.
The street vendor gets one less sale.
And slowly, the experience around the festival disappears too.

Festivals bring change to our monotonous lives.
Sadly, we are making festivals monotonous too!

Convenience is winning.
But are we losing something more important along the way...