Kolkata’s New Market, usually buzzing with shoppers ahead of Eid, is witnessing an unusual lull this year. Vendors, relying on cross-border customers for sales during Ramzan month, are facing losses as political unrest in Bangladesh disrupts travel. Two weeks before Eid, My Kolkata visited the shopping hub and spoke to the vendors to know the ground reality.
Sales affected by 20-30 per cent
For years, Bangladeshi tourists have travelled to the city to buy clothes, accessories, and household items. However, the ongoing turmoil in their home country has made it difficult to secure visas or travel safely, leading to a sharp decline in footfall.
Ziyaul Mohammad runs a small stall selling jutis on Bertram Street. He usually has sales worth Rs 10,000-15,000 per day during Ramzan every year. However, this year sales have barely touched Rs 5,000 per day till now. “Bangladeshi customers used to buy jutis in bulk — 10-12 pairs for their family members. Now, we only have local customers who barely buy one or two. So the sales have gone down by 20 to 30 per cent for us,” he lamented.
Shopkeepers of a jewellery stall on Bertram Street idle away during peak hours, without any customers to attend to
The loss percentage is similar for Taj Leathers on Bertram Street. Shopkeeper Abdul Ahmad said, “Only 15 days are left for Eid but there are hardly any sales. We are definitely facing a loss. There’s no way to increase the price of the products because locals wouldn’t buy.” “If we quote Rs 1,000 for a bag, customers bargain for half the price. Helpless, we have to give away keeping a thin profit margin,” said Ahmad’s colleague, Mohammad Sabdulla. New Market was bustling with shoppers in the late afternoon on Tuesday, however shopkeepers claimed that it wasn’t like other years. “Onno bochhor ei shomoy paa rakha jayena. Ei bheed kichui na. (You can barely enter the market during this time of the year. This crowd is nothing in comparison to previous years.)
Mid-size businesses also face the brunt
Brick-and-mortar stores in Hogg Market deserted on Tuesday evening
The situation has not just affected vendors on the streets outside and small businesses. Larger brick-and-mortar stores inside Hogg Market are facing the brunt as well. The owner of Elegance Garments in Hogg Market, Naheed Khan sold womenswear worth Rs 4 lakh to a Bangladeshi customer during Eid last year. “The per-day profit on days before Eid was almost around Rs 70,000 to 80,000 in previous years. Now, we are barely able to make Rs 20,000 to 30,000,” Khan said, adding that while Bangladeshi customers are still visiting, the numbers are far less. “I had one party visit some 10-15 days back. They are here on medical visas, and said that they had to wait for two months to get their visa,” Khan explained.
The stores in Hogg Market, Simpark Mall, Sriram Arcade, SSR Globe Mall and Treasure Island seemed to have moderate footfall when My Kolkata visited. Rajesh Kumar Tiwari, store manager of Milan store on Lindsay Street, beside SSR Globe Mall said, “The lack of Bangladeshi customers hasn’t affected us because of our business model. We are prepared to face any adversity,” but refused to give any details about their strategies.
A dull Sudder Street
An empty Sudder Street without stalls and customers on Tuesday
During our conversation with shopkeepers on Bertram Street, many informed us that many shops and stalls on Sudder Street had downed their shutters and wrapped as they were facing heavy losses for the past five months. The shop owners are reported to be working for other businesses. Talking a walk down the street, we found the stores deserted. Concluding his conversation with My Kolkata Abdul Ahmad at Taj Leathers said, “This Eid we are praying to Allah to restore normalcy so that we can see some profit again, and peace prevail in Bangladesh.”