Why Punekars travel to Mumbai’s Crawford Market for Christmas decorations

From artificial flowers and window curtains to tablecloths, crib statues, Santa Claus figurines, and newly arrived sparkle cribs encased in lantern-style displays, the market feels like Christmas has arrived, and it’s the best season for the shopkeepers here.

Crawford, a one-stop Christmas world

Anita Hand is a teacher from Pune who has been visiting the market for the past couple of years. “Crawford is like a one-stop Christmas world. In Pune, we do get decorations, but the variety is very limited. Here, I can find everything that I want, and I get almost everything that I want to get, like traditional crib figures, modern designs, different sizes of Santa Claus as per need, and even things I didn’t know I wanted until I saw them here,” she says.

Walking through the market, rows of shops display glowing lantern cribs, wooden mangers, fibre statues, and snow-globe-style nativity sets that light up at the touch of a button. Shopkeepers say these “modern cribs with sparkle effect” have become one of the biggest attractions in recent years, especially for younger families and apartment homes, and demand for this type has increased.

Shop owners at Crawford Market say customers from Pune, Nashik, and even Kolhapur are common during the season. (Express Photo)

Alan Vaz, 24, an IT professional from Pune, recently went on a day trip to Mumbai with his friends to Crawford Market for shopping. “In Pune, Christmas shopping feels scattered. You have to go to different places for lights, décor, and crib items. However, the Crawford market has everything in one stretch. It saves time, and the choices are much better,” he says.

Crawford offers better deals

Jacquline Borges, 36, a school teacher from Pune, says the trip is worth the effort. “Even after travel costs, the prices here are reasonable. The shopkeepers give options in every budget that I’ve planned. You can buy something small or go all out with any variety and size; anything is possible here,” she says.

For Anthony D’Souza, 41, who travels from Pune with his family every Christmas, Crawford Market is also about emotion and tradition. “Coming here feels like Christmas has officially begun. The crowd, the lights, the decorations – it creates a festive feeling that Pune markets don’t quite give a lot, but the Pune Camp stretch has a bit,” he says. He adds that his children look forward to choosing their own Santa figures and crib animals each year from the market, as they take a day off for Crawford shopping.

‘We cater to all tastes’

Shop owners at Crawford Market say customers from Pune, Nashik, and even Kolhapur are common during the season. Joseph D’Mello, 76, owner of Star Decor House, says, “People come here because they get variety. We stock traditional clay and fibre crib statues, imported Santa figures, fairy lights, artificial flowers, and now these new lantern-style cribs. Many customers from Pune tell us they don’t find such a range back home. But looking at them, we do give some discount to them.”

At Home Decor, another popular shop inside Crawford Market, 68-year-old owner Ramesh Pereira, points to shelves stacked with nativity figures of different sizes. “Some families want traditional designs, while others want something modern that fits small homes. Crawford Market works because we cater to all tastes. That’s why people are willing to travel so far,” he says.

During the festive season, Crawford Market continues to prove that it is more than just a shopping destination. (Express Photo)

Beyond decorations, shoppers also pick up tablecloths, pillow covers, window curtains, stars, wreaths, and Christmas-themed accessories, often all from the same market visit. The convenience of choice plays a major role.

Anita Hand agrees to it. She says, “In Pune, I usually have to compromise — either on design or quality. Here, I don’t have to settle. If I don’t like one shop, I just walk a few steps and find something better”.

During the festive season, Crawford Market continues to prove that it is more than just a shopping destination. For many Puneites, it has become part of their festive ritual as a place where tradition meets variety, and where the spirit of Christmas can be seen, touched, and carried back home in shopping bags.