Shopping festival planned by Delhi govt will boost sales, increase employment: Market bodies

Several market and trader associations in the capital have expressed hope that the ‘Whole shopping festival’ envisioned by the Delhi government will boost sales and help in bringing business back to the pre-Covid level. The traders said they are optimistic that such a festival will also help in increasing employment opportunities. On Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced that the Delhi government will organise a ‘Wholesale Shopping Festival’ to celebrate the iconic wholesale markets in the capital and to give them a new identity across the world.

Addressing the representatives from wholesale markets, Sisodia had said, “This is a unique feature of Delhi that it has wholesale markets for almost everything including textiles, electronics, spices, and books etc. Our aim is to promote the business of these wholesale markets and increase employment opportunities in these markets. ” The festival will help the markets do the marketing and branding of their businesses, he had said.

Ashok Randhawa, president of Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Traders’ Association, “We are very hopeful that the shopping festival will help in giving a boost to the sales which have been marred by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also help in giving employment. ” Randhawa pointed out that due to Covid, businesses have suffered great losses and they are still trying to recover from it.

“When Covid emerged, several boys who used to work in clothes outlets left for their home town. They haven’t returned and neither we have called them because businesses are still not at the pre-covid level,” he said. A representative of Chandni Chowk market association said it was among the few markets in the capital which has the capacity and capability to host the big festival.

“Chandni Chowk and Connaught Place is the only market in the capital where they can host a festival. These two markets are developed,” Sanjay Bhargava, president of Chandni Chowk Sarv Vypar Mandal, said. Bhargava cited the success of the 1998 festival at Chandni Chowk market —Chaudhvin Ka Chand — to assert that such festivals provide a great opportunity for the businesses to flourish.

“In 1998, we have had a biggest festival — Chaudhvin Ka Chand where lakhs of people had come. The festival helped in making the market popular and the festival helped in increasing the sales manifolds. “This also helped food stalls.

This festival if reorganised will help in improving the condition and will lead to a surge in the sales,” he added. However, Bhargava expressed concern that the “multiplicity of the agencies” might pose a problem in the smooth organisation of the festival. “It might have a positive impact but they (the government) need to be careful.

Several agencies will be involved and cooperation among them is necessary. History is seen that agencies do not cooperate. Like police, there is a need to provide security but they do not provide it when necessary,” he said.

Meanwhile, traders pointed out the lack of clarity regarding this festival. “There is a lack of clarity. Is the government trying to involve the just markets or it will include street vendors also.

We already have Diwali festivals and other festivals where we provide discounts to customers. “We discuss among ourselves and decide on the discounts. How will government contribute to it?” asked Ashwani Marwah, general secretary of the Traders Association in Lajpat Nagar said.

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