New Delhi: A key Saturday for festive-season shopping turned into a day of lost business for traders across several parts of the national capital, with markets witnessing widespread closures and thin footfall amid the protest and disruptions to movement.While shops in areas such as Connaught Place, Janpath, Sadar Bazaar and Daryaganj remained largely shut, Chandni Chowk saw partial operations but far fewer customers than usual.Connaught Place and Janpath presented an unusually quiet picture, with stretches of the markets barricaded and shops remaining closed. New Delhi Traders Association had announced a day earlier that markets and commercial establishments in the surrounding areas would remain shut amid security concerns linked to the protest. Connaught Place witnessed a complete shutdown, with shops not opening for business.In Sadar Bazaar, one of the capital’s busiest wholesale markets, most shops also remained closed, leaving its usually crowded stretches unusually quiet. Only a few roadside vendors selling smaller items continued to operate. The scene was markedly different from a typical Saturday, when traders and customers fill the narrow market lanes.“Because of the protest, the market is closed,” said roadside vendor Rahul, explaining why business had come to a standstill.The situation was somewhat different in Chandni Chowk, where some shops opened even as many others remained shut. Traders estimated that around half the shops had opened, but the lack of customers meant business remained subdued. Disruptions to movement and difficulties in reaching the market further affected footfall.Rammohan Singh, who runs saree shops in Chandni Chowk, said traders had been asked to keep their establishments closed, but some had opened in the hope of making sales.“We were asked to close our shops, but we opened them. Around 50% of the shops are open. What is the point of opening if there are no customers in the market?” he said.For traders, the disruption came at a particularly difficult time. Saturdays are among the most important shopping days of the festive season, when retailers stock up in anticipation of higher sales. With the weekend already underway, traders feared that continued disruptions would lead to further losses.The impact was not limited to shop owners. Small vendors and workers who depend on daily earnings were also affected as customers stayed away and commercial activity slowed across several markets.
