Kolkata: The prolonged spell of scorching weather has transformed Kolkata’s bustling shopping hubs like New Market, Lindsay Street, Gariahat and Chandni Chowk into empty stretches, with the shoppers staying away at least till late in the evening.
Even community markets like Entally, Lake Market or Gariahat market, which are frequented by thousands daily, have witnessed a slump in footfall.The heat, consequently, has hit the sales figures.
Mohammad Faisal Arshad, president of the Lindsay Street-Bertram Street Hawkers’ Welfare Association, said the area was packed with shoppers even during non-festival phases. “But due to the prolonged heat spell, there are hardly any customers till 6pm now. There are some buyers as the evening sets in but the numbers are too less,” said Arshad, who sells apparels on Bertram Street.
Traders in Gariahat, a traditional shopping hub in south Kolkata, too, have been idling away in the absence of customers. “There is no major festival in the next few days, so there is little or no impetus for the customers to step out to shop in this gruelling weather. We continue to pay rent, power bills and salaries to our employees even when there is hardly any business. If this continues further, we will be counting huge losses,” said Debasish Ghosh, a trader in Gariahat.
At Entally market, people have been coming in the evening to purchase items of daily use. “I am opening my shop late because most customers are coming in after 5pm. Since the bulk of the sale is happening in the evening, I prefer to rest in the morning,” said Mohammad Badruddin, a dry fruits seller.
Other wholesale and retail markets are also grappling with slump in sales. “Earlier, I would get 20 to 25 customers everyday. But since the mercury has started surging, I hardly get eight to 10 customers,” said Anil Singh, who has a cosmetics shop in Bagree Market.