Homemakers prefer to visit shops for essential items amid pandemic

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 8

Homemakers may have postponed their shopping plans for non-essential things such as clothes, jewellery and accessories but as far as groceries were concerned, they prefer to personally visit stores for making necessary purchases, even amid the Covid-19 threat, said shopkeepers.

 Shops selling non-essentials see less visitors

Shopkeepers dealing in non-essential commodities such as clothes, cosmetics and jewellery do complain of getting less customers. But grocers and vegetable and fruit retailers maintain that there is no decrease in the number of customers, especially women.

The shopkeepers dealing in non-essential commodities such as clothes, cosmetics and jewellery do complain of getting less customers, especially women. But grocers and vegetable and fruit retailers maintain that there was no decrease in the number of female customers.

“Barring a few who are highly educated or have got enough domestic helps for making purchases, most of the homemakers prefer to visit markets and make purchases on their own. They look minutely on products and ask for offers. We are getting regular customers, especially women, who make grocery purchases on their own,” said Tarun Sood from Subhash Traders, Field Ganj area.

Sood added that a few of them send their domestic helps or order online for home deliveries.

A vegetable retailer at Dandi Swami Chowk, Gurmeet Singh, said women make sure that vegetables were fresh and rates are reasonable while making purchases.

“The homemakers personally visit the shop. And those who prefer to stay in their vehicles outside shops send drivers to shops, who show the former the quality of veggies,” Singh said.

Kriti Sharma, another homemaker, said she prefers to visit shops on her own.

“At times, shopkeepers send expired stocks or items of other brands as per availability. Recently, I ordered apples. When received, I found that all were rotten. Hence, I believe that it is better to visit shops for shopping of groceries and other essentials while taking all precautions,” she said.