College Road traders stare at huge loses

Market watch

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 28

College Road is one of the busiest roads in the city. As the name suggests, colleges and schools are situated on this road and it remained busy till late night.

Shops situated on this road, near Fountain Chowk, are mostly stationery shops, eating joints and jewellery showrooms. The famous samosa-gulab jamun shop and the popular Hoshiarpuriya’s tikki shop are also on this road. This road witnessed all hustle and bustle till late night, but things have entirely changed since the lockdown was announced by the government due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jugal Kishore from Kiran Book Shop said they were opening the shop till 6 pm, but the business was negligible. “With schools and colleges shut, only a few customers come for photostat, printouts or some other stuff for home assignments that kids are getting from schools. Business will kickstart only when educational institutes will open. Many students are still to buy books, but they will do so only after consulting their teachers,” he said. “But students safety is our also first priority, so we are not complaining,” he added.

Bake 4 U, a bakery shop, is hit with the students and city residents for its yummy cakes, soft breads and tongue-tickling patties, but even this joint is feeling the best of the lockdown. “During the lockdown, we were offering home deliveries. Though now shops have opened, only 30-40 per cent customers are coming as people are avoiding going outside their homes due to Covid situation and rising mercury level,” said Roxy from Bake 4 U.

Vipin Sharma from the famous samosa-gulab jamun shop said: “Only 25 per cent customers are coming these days. Schools and colleges are shut and further, the heat wave is not letting anybody come out even if they want to. Sales are minimal these days,” he said.

Sonu from Bindiya packers said their shop was closed for the past two months. “We deal in stationery, and with schools and colleges shut, there is no point opening the shop. Now, we are planning to shut the shop permanently,” he said.

An owner of a silver jewellery store from College Road, near Fountain Chowk, said with no occasions and functions being held these days, the sale had come down to almost zero. “Only those who have some very special occasion in their close-knit family are coming, but otherwise, we are receiving any regular shoppers these days,” he said.