With not many customers, retailers complain that not even the usual business is taking place
COVID-19 has dampened the festive mood in the city’s malls on the eve of Ramzan on Thursday.
In One Town and other commercial areas there was clearly no festive atmosphere. There wasn’t much going on near Masjids either, where religious texts and other important items are sold. Traders complain that not even the usual business is taking place, let alone the Ramzan festival sales.
“Last year the Ramzan activities were completely stopped. That year, the police gave us permission to open stores. But there are no customers, ”says Suleman, a shop owner at the Panja Center.
While there are curfews on the one hand, rumors that there is a “COVID outbreak” in the Panja Center have spoiled the mood on the other. “People don’t dare go out. Sales are down 75%, ”says Suleman.
“I have more inventory than customers,” says G. Prasad, a chic shopkeeper. The counter collections used to be over £ 30,000 on the eve of Ramzan. During the Ramzan season, sales ranged from £ 2.5 to £ 3. This year it’s not even £ 40,000. Even though the store opened at 6:30 am, sales didn’t even exceed £ 0.4,000, ”he says.
“Look at this Semiya salesman. His situation is worse, ”says Prasad, pointing a finger at Osman. The roadside vermicelli seller recalls that two years ago he sold no less than 1,000 kg. There were no sales at all last year due to the lockdown. This year, 100 kg of semiya was put up for sale. Of this, 10 kg of vermicelli are still unsold. There is no other option but to distribute it to friends and relatives, he says.
Mr Suleman says customers and sellers from nearby locations in the district did not show up this year. Their share of sales alone used to be 50%, he says.
“People have no money and see no business. They celebrate with whatever is available. That’s the situation now, “he says.
“This year is much worse than last year when there were bans. You can see deserted streets and shutters. No trader or even a citizen would have suffered so much. These two years are the worst part of our life, ”summarizes Mr. Prasad.