Bhopal traders pin hopes on souring temp, wedding season for biz revival

Bhopal: The onset of summer, coupled with the arrival of a long wedding season, rings in an ‘auspicious' occasion for traders, particularly in the segments of electronics, electrical goods, and apparel. As the summer and wedding season progress, they expect the market to pick up further, with more footfall at marketplaces.The owner of a departmental store in New Market, Pawan Chawla, when asked about the market sentiments, said, "For the last week or so, the sales picked up, and there is definitely more footfall in the market. The wedding season has just begun, and as the season progresses, people will come shopping for goods, clothes, gifts, furniture, jewellery, and whatnot. Marriage halls are booked, and mega orders for catering are placed. In fact, the marriage season has a positive impact on the market like nothing else."When asked about some reports that the sale of goods like ACs, fridges, or coolers may take a dip due to the prices of such goods going up, he said, "All the major companies keep their counters in the showrooms to sanction ‘zero interest' loans. If you have a card of a company that sanctions loans for the purchase of domestic goods or a credit card, your transaction is done within 5 to 30 minutes, irrespective of whether you have money in your pocket or not."When asked about the sale of ‘summer goods' like ACs, coolers, or fridges, a person at the counter of a huge electronic showroom said, "Yes, the sales picked up, and with the kind of heat you have in April itself, this summer would be a long affair, and we hope that the sales will go up further in the next few days."Jai Sharma, a businessman who was in a showroom to look for an AC, said, "We have two ACs in our house, but now my daughter has grown up, and she has a separate room. I have come with her to choose an AC for her. You can delay purchasing a car or a house, but things you need at the time of a change of weather make you rush to a market to buy them without delay. The temperature is already soaring beyond 40, so I thought it's high time I get her an AC," he said.The spokesperson of Bhopal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI), Ajay Devnani, who has a showroom of electrical goods in New Market, said, "The market sentiments are very good. People are buying goods for summer — coolers, ACs, fridges, and not to forget apparel — and the wedding season has also arrived. Both the wedding season and summer are occasions when people buy things more from their 'trusted' showroom or shop rather than ordering them online. When they go to the market, they also have all the varieties before them — be it ACs, fridges, coolers, clothes, or gifts for weddings. The footfall in the market is on the rise, and we expect the good season to continue far beyond the summer, up to July, because of the long wedding season."