Markets extend business hours for pre-puja shoppers but weekend rain plays spoilsport

Kolkata: Several markets in the traditional shopping hubs of Kolkata extended their business hours, expecting sales to pick up in the countdown to Durga Puja and to recoup their losses but the rain gods played spoilsport.
Business, which witnessed an almost month-long slump due to the absence of festive spirit and disrupting rallies in the aftermath of the RG Kar incident, was picking up and traders were expecting a busy weekend but the rain acted as a dampener.
Several shopkeepers in markets and malls across the city complained that business took a beating in yet another weekend before Durga Puja. “We have decorated the entire market for the festival. Shopkeepers have stocked up their shops for Durga Puja. Sales did start picking up in the past few days and we were expecting brisk business this weekend but rain played spoilsport,” said Maqsood Khan, secretary of Shreeram Arcade Shop Owners’ Association.
SS Hogg Market, Treasure Island, Shreeram Arcade and The Globe Mall in the New Market area will keep shops open till 9.30 pm. Markets in the New Market area attract the maximum number of shoppers from across the city and the suburbs.
“We only have three more weekends before Durga Puja after this one. We were expecting good business this weekend but many shoppers have not been able to come due to the rain,” said Subhankar Dey, a shopowner at S S Hogg Market.
Malls, too, recorded lower footfalls on Friday and Saturday than they did last weekend. Though mall managements said they were open to allowing retailers to operate an hour later than usual, few have opted for it till now due to the low turnout.
“All of us have been hoping for a rush this weekend as Mahalaya is now only a fortnight away. The mall had decked up in festive colours to infuse a sense of joy among visitors. But the weather has dampened our hopes,” said Manmohan Bagree of South City Mall.
At Quest, too, retailers have not requested for additional hours of operation yet. “With the CM holding talks with protesting junior doctors, there is optimism but we will know about the situation only when the weather improves,” said Sanjeev Mehra of Quest.
The two City Centre malls have also not yet extended the closure timings but Ramesh Pandey of Ambuja Neotia that operates the two malls said the management was extremely flexible regarding closure timing and would do the needful when the need arises.
Shop owners and hawkers in Shyambazar said it was a double whammy for them since they were located so close to RG Kar Hospital. “There are protests and blockades almost everyday. We were expecting some good business this weekend but the weather gods had other plans,” said a shopkeeper in Shyambazar.