Traders still wait for mad Diwali rush

Seasoned shoppers in the city often advice novices to stay away from the traditional markets of Ahmedabad during Diwali.

This is because the traditional markets in the old city area are often chock-a-block with Diwali customers and if you aren’t seasoned enough, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the crowd, the jostling and the haggling.

But this year traders in the area are still waiting for the mad rush, they have got accustomed to for years, to happen. Traders from almost all sectors including ready-made garments, imitation jewellery, decorative items and sweet sellers believe that demand has dipped by nearly 40%.
The traders had expected a good festive season but have been left disappointed by the lackluster response from customers ahead of Diwali. “We expected a good Diwali sale this year but the demand has gone down by around 40%. Retailers who sell non-branded garments have felt the pinch far more severely,” said Jignesh Sheth of Tilat, an authorised retail outlet of Arvind and Raymond on Relief Road.

Majority of the shops in Ratanpol, traditionally a busy market, were empty and traders were waiting for customers. Only a few famous shops such as Asopalav had customers. “The small traders have been affected by low demand. In our case, customers are coming to buy clothes for the marriage season and not for Diwali,” said Chottubhai of Asopalav. 

Dhalgarwad, one of the preferred shopping streets for the middle and lower middle income group, witnessed the usual rush of customers, but traders had nothing to cheer about as their budget remained very low.