Mall Road traders keep spirits high amid gloom

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 23

Shopkeepers at the Mall Road Market where stores of top fashion and lifestyle brands are located are keeping their spirits high, and are hopeful that the market will bounce back again. Footfall of customers is negligible these days.

Since customers are reluctant to visit markets for the fear of Covid-19, the Nilibar store has started doorstep delivery service for selection of clothes, as was done in olden days.

“In former times, women didn’t go out for shopping but instead products were brought to their doorstep. We are doing the same these days. I have assigned duties to two of my drivers and they are taking the selected articles to the homes of our regular customers,” said Sonu from the Nilibar store.

He said as there would be no exhibition-cum-sales this year, women are keen on buying the stuff from the local market. For our customers who live in other cities and foreign countries, we are either sending them pictures or showing them the stuff through Face-Time calls. There are fewer customers but we are keeping our spirits high, he added.

It is the time when the Riwaaz store receives most of its customers from the rural belt who have just sold off their wheat crop. However, none of them has visited the store yet.

“We are opening from 10 am to 6 pm but the customer footfall is very low. As no big functions or celebrations are allowed these days, people avoid coming out for making purchases,” said Jatinder Bhatia from Riwaaz.

Rahul Thapar from Manyavar said profit and loss go side by side in business, but Covid had brought about real tough times. “A real businessman is the one who does not lose hope and keep his faith intact. So, I am still hopeful and expect the business to revive in the coming months,” he said.

“Only those customers who have some occasion within the family are coming to buy clothes. No customer with daily requirement is shopping these days,” said Vijay Arora from the Cheap Silk store.