KOLKATA: The festive season brought more than cheers to the trading community that managed to salvage its losses due to the pandemic, said several traders’ associations in the central business district.
According to businessmen in the wholesale and retail hub of the city, business during the festive season was not as bad as they were fearing it to be. In fact, many could neutralise the massive losses they incurred during the lockdown since March and make some profits.
Some of the categories that contributed to brisk business were electronic appliances, white goods, dry fruits and footwear while other categories like metals, gift items, high-end apparels and toys registered sluggish business.
The business community was fearing that people would not visit the crowded markets of central Kolkata due to the fear of contracting the coronavirus. The purchasing power of many families have also decreased following a dip in their income due to the pandemic.
“But the business was not bad at all. The market did not register growth compared to previous years due to obvious reasons like the pandemic, the fear of contracting the virus at crowded places like markets and the bad economic situation. But the sales were good and people could salvage their losses incurred since the beginning of the year. We were fearing that this year would be a wash-out but thankfully it did not happen that way,” said Sushil Poddar, president of the Confederation of West Bengal Trade Associations.
According to various associations, the business picked up a pace a couple of weeks before Durga Puja with several traders from the districts started coming in private vehicles to procure in bulk goods from Burrabazar and other wholesale markets in central Kolkata. Families started visiting these markets a week before Diwali to purchase gift items, appliances, home decoration items and dry fruits.
“There is no point comparing the business with previous years as the situation was different this year but still we could do some business to meet our expenses. I could clear all the stock lying with me since the beginning of this year. I am planning to start afresh with a new strategy,” said Vinay Jaiswal, a wholesaler and retailer of footwear on Rabindra Sarani.
Several businessmen offered attractive discounts to draw customers who, they feared, would opt for online shopping portals to avoid visiting the crowded markets due to the fear of the virus.