Kolkata: With less than a month to go for Durga Puja, the pre-festival shopping frenzy picked up in earnest on Saturday, with the three traditional shopping hubs as well as malls recording a surge in footfall. A relatively dry day after incessant rain this season also helped.Gariahat, Hatibagan and New Market were filled to the brim by evening, with traders and hawkers reporting a 50% rise in footfall over the previous weekend.At Gariahat, the surge in shoppers from late afternoon prompted hawkers to postpone an urgent meeting. According to Debraj Ghosh, a hawker union functionary in Gariahat, hawkers selling bedsheets, curtains, cushions and home decor on Saturday had reasons to smile after a long time as buyers arrived in large numbers.Ajay De, a veteran Gariahat hawker, said he was more than happy as he could not have imagined that the bright weather and the weekend would usher in a bounty for them. “It is a matter of great relief for us that after weeks of drought in sales, today we had customers coming in droves. We hope the trend will continue in the remaining weeks before Durga Puja,” said De, who sells bags.Hawkers in Hatibagan, particularly those selling apparel and fashion accessories, also did brisk business. While the crowd surge did not force police to stop traffic, shoppers had a difficult time jostling through the crowded pavements and spilling onto the streets.Similarly, hawkers in and around New Market did good business on Saturday evening. Walking through Bertram Street or Humayun Place seemed an uphill task. Mohammed Asif, a hawker who sells readymade garments, said it was the first weekend when his sales witnessed a significant rise. “I am delighted that the weekend proved to be a boon for us. I hope the numbers will rise in the coming weekends,” said Asif.At South City, the city’s largest mall, footfall was 20% higher than the previous weekend. The car park filled up by evening as people turned up in droves to shop and eat. Retailers at the mall said the throb of the festive season could be felt on Saturday, with customers thronging stores selling apparel, cosmetics and gadgets, including cellphones.Acropolis Mall, too, recorded a footfall of around 18,000. “The festive shopping season has begun on an encouraging note at Acropolis Mall. We expect the number to rise further as the evening progresses. The parking space also remains occupied for most of the day, reflecting the growing festive buzz at the mall. However, we believe the momentum is yet to reach its peak,” said Subhadip Basu, corporate general manager (retail and hospitality) at Merlin Group that owns and operates the mall.
