Head to buy groceries in any city, and you will find someone in the store following you. It may be to help you out with what you want, but also it’s their job to make sure no one flicks anything from the racks. While we all have encountered such distrust among people in many places, here is a place that runs purely on trust, love, and mutual respect.
Did you know that Nagaland and Mizoram have shops with no shopkeepers? While it’s always the little things that make a huge difference, this space has no man operating the shop, no locks or gates; just the things for sale placed in an organised manner, a locked cash box to pay for what has been picked up, and lots of trust, love and kindness.
Located in a village in Nagaland – Dzuleke. All things, including plants, juice bottles, snacks, and more, are placed in baskets and racks in a well-organised manner. Price tags are also added to the baskets.
Buyers can swiftly pick up what they need and pay for the same.
From paying an autorickshaw driver to settling bills in branded stores, the world is dominated by UPI payments. However, in this no-shopkeeper counter, all that a customer needs to do is drop the bill amount in a locked cash box that is placed on the table. If one wishes, they can also drop a little extra to reciprocate the love and kindness.
This concept of no shopkeeper is also observed in Mizoram, India. It is locally called ‘Nghah Lou Dawr and is rooted in the local culture of trust and community values. Countries like Japan and New Zealand also have such stores.
Though this practice has been followed for decades, videos and pictures of these shops go viral, as many are amazed by this system.