Maggi still available at local stores, but sales take drastic hit after ban

A day after the Delhi government directed Nestle India to ban Maggi noodles for 15 days, the brand was still available at some local stores.

Store owners claimed their stocks have not been withdrawn yet. However, most stores in central Delhi said their stocks were recalled.

“The sale of Maggi noodles is still the same as before. We have not received any information yet that the stocks will be recalled,” said Sonu Kumar, a store owner in Kalkaji.

Another shopkeeper in south Delhi, Sudhir Sharma, said he had sold over 10 packets of Maggi noodles late on Tuesday night and the stocks have not been returned.

No customers

Store owners in Palika Bazaar and Connaught Place said there were no customers for Maggi noodles and the stocks have been returned to the wholesalers.

“The packets were returned right after the Delhi government announced the ban for the next 15 days on Wednesday,” said Navin Jain, who runs a shop at Palika Bazaar.
With Maggi off many shelves, other companies are trying to push in more stocks of instant noodles to the stores.

“We were contacted by a rival company of Nestle India for doubling our stocks of the brand’s instant noodles. They claimed their product is safe unlike Maggi noodles,” said Sudesh Jain, who runs a store in Connaught Place.

“We declined as there are no takers since the controversy over Maggi erupted,” he  added.

Clearing of stocks
For some shopkeepers, clearing the stocks off the stores was not just enough.
“I alerted my children even before the ban was enforced and word reached us to clear the stocks. People are wary of buying any type of instant noodles now,” said P K Jain.

At a “Maggi Point” in Kalkaji, the usual customers were missing.

Only three customers arrived here who shifted from their Maggi noodles meal to pasta – also sold at the counter.

For the “maggi-maker” Babloo’s neighbouring shop owner it was an odd feeling.
“It was odd seeing him not even making one bowl of Maggi to serve customers,” said Daya Shankar, who runs a paan shop.