Srinagar, Nov 21: Even as the Eid is just a few days ahead, shopkeepers at the city centre here don’t find much of a bustle.
 Most of the shopkeepers Greater Kashmir talked to said the business was down despite their high expectations with Eid marketing.
 “There was tremendous customer rush that actually began weeks before the last Eid. But this the market is silent,” the traders said.
 Traders dealing in fabrics, readymade garments for men, kids wear and shoe wear said they were doing normal business and “do not witness any surge in our sales because of the Eid.”
 According to the traders the rising prices of almost all the commodities had adverse affected the market. “People here pay for a host of additional expenditures in winters. And, then when the prices are skyrocketing, it affects their spending level,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, sales manager Wear Mart Fairdeal Shopping Complex.
 “The prices of cloth we sell have sharply increased. Although we have reduced our margins yet the customers complain,” he added.
 Pervaiz Ahmad, owner Fame Kids Wear Shop Jigar Complex Goni Khan said: “As we get all our material from outside there the manufacturers have increased the price by 20 to 25 per cent leaving us with no option but to increase the prices.”
 “School exams have just finished. People have admitted their wards to the new classes spending a lot of money on their admission, books, uniform etc. So the Eid market is silent,” said Manzoor Ahmad Partner Star Hunt a Kids Wear Shop at Lalchowk.
 The traders dealing in ladies’ dress materials said that they made good sales two weeks before Eid, however presently the market was down.
 “We made good sales during the previous weeks as we deal in the material which needs stitching so people usually shop it well a good time before the Eid,” said Latief Ahmad of Impression Fabrics.
 “This time not many people are coming to us to shop for Eid,” he added.
 However, many traders said they were optimistic about the business picking up in one or two days. “As some days are still left to the Eid we are expecting that the things will improve and we can see the trend changing,” they said.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 IST