SHILLONG: A mixed mood prevailed in the city’s commercial hub, Police Bazar on Monday with Durga Puja shopping yet to pick up its customary pace, even as the festival was just a couple of days away.
Traders here say that the pre-Puja market compared to the previous years was average, with some speculating inclement weather behind the moderate buying.
Dev Kishan Mordani, owner of the popular Uncle’s Shop at Khyndailad (Police Bazar) said the market was average even as sales have picked up slightly.
He however said that that the recently introduced Goods and Service Tax (GST) did not have much impact on sales.
Apparently, the weather has not been all that conducive for people to remain outdoors for long. Rains over the past few days may also have affected the flow of customers to the shops in the commercial hub
Asked about online shopping sites having a bearing on offline sales, Mordani said online sales have hit business in brick and mortar stores.
“However, people have also started losing faith on online products due to few cases of swindling. People now like to see the products in shops rather than depending on mere photographs,” he said.
On the other hand, J Ahmed, proprietor of Eden Residency Hotel rued the fact that tourist flow has come down after train services to the North East were affected and many bookings were either cancelled or diverted.“Some bookings have resumed though and we are expecting a good tourist flow during the festive season,” he said.
Echoing similar views on the sombre mood in the markets ahead of the festival, a road-side vendor, who sells shoes in Police Bazar, said business has not been as good as last year.
“Last year, we did not have time… but now there are fewer customers,” he said.
A shopper while interacting with this reporter said products in the town were quite expensive.
