Madurai's first departmental store

One of the little excitements of my childhood in the 1980s was a cycle-rickshaw ride with my grandmother to Remuki Stores, somewhere along East Avani Moola Street, just a stone’s throw from the Meenakshi Amman Temple.

Founded around 1975–76 by a Gujarati Shah family, Remuki was a pioneer of the supermarket format in Madurai. At a time when the city’s shopping experience was largely dominated by traditional provision stores, Remuki offered something rather different.

This was where Grandma went to pick up a few "exotic groceries"—things that were not always easy to find elsewhere in the city. Remuki was the place to go for premium-quality groceries and imported products, giving it an air of sophistication that set it apart from the neighbourhood stores.

For me, though, the attraction went beyond groceries. A bar of Cadbury’s chocolate and a few Eclairs toffees were mandatory purchases on every visit! After all, a shopping trip with Grandma was not complete without a little something for the young accomplice tagging along.

Somewhere along the way, the original store shut its doors, taking with it a little piece of Madurai’s retail history. Its branch on 80 Feet Road in K.K. Nagar continues to survive, but for those of us who remember the original, it is merely a poor reminder of a once-popular city landmark.

Remuki today at kk nagar

Remuki Stores was more than just a place to shop. It was part of a childhood ritual—a cycle-rickshaw ride, an outing with Grandma, the discovery of unfamiliar goodies, and, of course, the irresistible promise of a Cadbury’s chocolate!