At this clothing shop, everything is free

KOLLAM: You can walk into this clothing shop with an empty wallet and still walk out with something you like. There are saris, churidars, nighties, shirts and frocks for children, but there are no price tags, and there is nothing to pay.
This is Changathees Free Market Centre at Kotheri, near the SN College junction in Chathannoor, Kollam. The shop is run by advocate N. Jayachandran, who practises at the Kollam and Paravur courts.

The idea began with a simple thought: why not do something for people who cannot afford even basic necessities?
Jayachandran rented a shop room next to his office and used money from his own pocket to buy clothes for the initiative. The shop began functioning on Uthradam, ahead of Onam. During the festival season, people from even distant places came in search of clothes, chose what they needed and left with a word of thanks.

The shop is open from 9 to 10 in the morning and again from 5 to 8 in the evening, with Jayachandran usually there during those hours. When he is in court, an employee from his law office looks after the shop. Many of those who need the clothes tend to arrive after dusk.

The shop itself came with a small gesture of support. The owner had initially asked for a deposit of Rs 20,000 and a monthly rent of Rs 2,500. But after learning that the space would be used to distribute goods free of cost, the owner reduced the deposit to Rs 10,000 and the rent to Rs 2,000.

When a rack empties, someone fills it again

Jayachandran does not have to keep spending heavily to replenish the stock. People who support the initiative regularly bring things they no longer need.

Clothes received as gifts for Onam, weddings or birthdays often find their way here. Some donate utensils and electrical appliances as well. There are also clothes that have been worn just once or twice, then washed, ironed and brought to the shop.

That is how the shop keeps going. As someone takes away a garment they need, someone else brings in something to replace it.

For those who arrive with little or nothing to spend, the shop offers something simple: the freedom to choose what they need and take it home without having to worry about the price.