‘Sales affected as every possible space has been taken over by hawkers. People prefer malls because of better facilities,’ Dadar shopkeepers lament Diwali sales

A few steps away, on Chabildas Road, is Amol Bhalekar, a permanent shopkeeper who sets up a stall outside his store 10 days before Diwali to display his kandils. It’s a business his family has run for nearly five decades. “I have all kinds of kandils, from small to large, foldable ones, and even jute and crochet versions, priced between Rs 150 and Rs 1,000,” he said, adding that business picks up from 1.30 pm and continues till 10 pm on weekdays, stretching late into the night on weekends.

Opposite him stands Dadar’s popular Mahila Vastu Bhandar, decked inside and out with torans in bright colours and kandils starting at Rs 150 and going up to Rs 1,500. Inside, Dilip Palekar manages the counters while his staff attends to customers. “The shop is over 80 years old,” he said.

Dadar’s popular Mahila Vastu Bhandar which is popular for its torans, kandils and other decorative items. (Express Photo)

But business sentiment varies. While Palekar said this year has been better than the last, Karan Gada of Pari Art Jewellery, which specialises in one-gram gold jewellery, sat idle with his team of five. “The market is very slow. People aren’t buying jewellery,” he said. One might think that since gold prices are high, customers would turn to them, but that’s far from the truth. “Not only have raw material costs gone up, but polish rates too. Earlier, a set of four gold-polished bangles cost Rs 2,000, now it’s over Rs 3,500. Business is slow. The rush is there, but mostly on the roads—not inside the shops.”

Low purchasing power and hawker nuisance

According to Dadar Vyapari Sangh president Sunil D Shah, while Dadar still sees nearly Rs 150 crore in business each day during the 10 days leading up to Diwali, the market isn’t as strong as it used to be. “Overall purchasing power has gone down,” he said, adding that a lack of infrastructure — especially parking — and the growing presence of hawkers are hurting business.

“Tax-paying shopkeepers are being overlooked. Every possible space has been taken over by hawkers who don’t even pay taxes. It affects shopkeepers’ sales manifold. People prefer malls because of better facilities,” he noted. “Last weekend, there was a stampede-like situation that could repeat again this weekend, and we’re least prepared to deal with it. We’ve written to the police and municipal commissioners, but nothing has changed.”

Kids’ shopping continues

Even as some shop owners report slow business, stalls catering to children seem to be thriving. Sonu Kumar, who has been coming to Dadar for two decades and runs a 10-foot stall selling kids’ clothes, said sales have bounced back. “It was bad during the pandemic, but it’s picked up since, this year it’s even better than pre-Covid levels.”

A firecracker seller, however, said business is muted. “Sales are very slow this year. People are mostly buying small firecrackers like chakris and phuljhadis for children,” he said on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, another stall owner, Navneet Gopinath Kaleskar, who specialises in festive lights and hanging kandils, showcased his latest attraction—a bright red e-ladi. Once switched on, it makes the crackling sound of firecrackers, similar to that of the notorious ‘1,000 ladi’. “If the point is to enjoy the noise,” he smiled, “at least this way we can do away with the pollution.”

Navneet Gopinath Kaleskar, who specialises in festive lights and hanging kandils, showcases his latest attraction — a bright red e-ladi. (Express Photo)