3 weekends before puja, rain & stir take toll on shopping hubs
Times of India | 16 September 2024
12 Kolkata: Shopping on the third last Sunday before Durga Puja was severely disrupted by frequent showers that have been lashing the the city for the past couple of days and the ongoing protests over the RG Kar incident.
Shopping hubs like Gariahat, New Market and Hatibagan-Shyambazar, have so far witnessed a significantly lower turnout compared to previous years.
Traders and hawkers at New Market said they were disappointed by the low footfalls. They had been eagerly waiting for the pre-puja period to boost their sales after the Bangladesh trouble that affected their businesses. A significant number of New Market shoppers are usually visitors from Bangladesh.
Sundari Gupta, a garment shop owner in New Market, said till last year they had to place multiple orders to meet the demands but this time, the merchandise that was stocked up in August, was yet to be exhausted. “We all want justice for the victim of this heinous crime but protest organizers should also consider how the businesses could stay unaffected,” Gupta said. Md Sahanwaj, a garment seller on Bertram Street, reported a loss of about Rs 30,000 over the weekend due to protests, roadblocks, traffic disruptions, and heavy showers. Dona Gopal, a shopper from Sodepur, insisted that it was pertinent to indulge in festive shopping with barely a month to go for Durga Puja. Hatibagan-Shyambazar market has also been facing substantial losses over the past month, according to hawkers and retail shop owners.
A retail shop owner, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed respect for the protesters but urged them to consider the impact on businesses as well.
Prabhat Das, a shoe hawker in Hatibagan, said the sales were halved as compared to last year’s pre-puja period. Moreover, the slump in business was even worse than the pandemic-induced slowdown, he added.Vendors across Ballygunge, Gariahat, and Rashbehari shared similar experiences. Debraj Ghosh, a garment seller in Gariahat, said it would be a challenge to be able to clear the stocks this year.