The story of Vizag’s favourite toy store

In Vizag, there was a time when the highlight of the long hot boring summer vacation was a trip to the best toy store in town. It was a store that understood their needs and stocked almost every toy that they could imagine. The latest action figurines shared shelf space with cute cuddly bears. Balls of all sizes and bats of all types vied for attention as opposed to the bicycles and tricycles. Hoops, miniature cars, and trains, cooking sets and more; parents stocked up on summer fun with a visit to Mira Collections! A birthday, anniversary or any gifting occasion; even topping the class translated to a trip to the beloved store. It was the cool store where Mohan ‘Uncle’ invariably had a smile – there always was a sense of familiarity and good cheer that was felt by just entering the store.

A landmark of sorts on the Care Hospital road, even today Mira Collections is just as enticing to a child as it was a few decades ago when it opened. And the toy store seems to be a permanent fixture since ages, it opened as recently as 1992. Prior to that, the original store was opened in 1974 by the elder amongst the three Karnani brothers in Super Bazar near the Old City. Their history with Vizag dates back to the late 1960s when they often visited Vizag for holidaying. Living in Pune back then, they often came to visit their uncles, the owners of Karachiwala Department Store. Eventually, the eldest brother shifted to Vizag in 1974; he joined a college in Visakhapatnam to pursue higher studies. Even as a student he was keen on setting up a business, and inspired and helped by his uncle, he opened the original store – Mira Stores – in Super Bazar. Realising the business potential of Visakhapatnam, his parents encouraged the second brother, Mohan Karnani to shift to Vizag and help him manage the store. Eventually, their younger brother too joined them.

Back then, the customers were mostly friendly faces; in the sense that most of them came again and again on a regular basis. There was very little competition, and business was good. And though the business volumes were small, there was a sense of satisfaction. Eventually, the need for a bigger space compelled them to open the second store – Mira Collections. Today, the store sells a whole range of goods, right from infant-needs to imported cosmetics, though toys are still their mainstay. And the once exclusive toy store in the city has a lot more competition in the form of malls, a plethora of competitive gift stores, and online stores. But perhaps their biggest competitor is the present generation kid’s disdain of actual toys in comparison to virtual games on the screen.