Small mom-and-pop stores struggle to pass on GST gains

MUMBAI: For several small mom-and-pop stores across the country, passing on the benefits of the reduced GST cuts to the consumers immediately is becoming a challenge. For one, they have bought their stock from the distributors at the old rates and selling products to customers at lower rates would mean incurring losses, which many cannot afford. "There are some issues on the ground. It will take 15-20 days for things to settle. For small kirana stores which do not make very large sales daily, taking a hit on their margins is not something they can afford," said a trader, requesting anonymity. Also, not all kirana store owners based out of smaller towns or remote areas may be aware of the changes in rates. "It might take some time for the messaging to reach them. Small shopkeepers tend