Achi news desk-
Srinagar: The Kashmir Valley wore a festive look on Tuesday as shoppers thronged the markets for Eid shopping.
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated in the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday or Thursday depending on the appearance of the new moon.
In the large shopping centers, the store owners displayed colorful items to entice customers for the occasion. However, many business owners in the city centers complained of slow sales.
The rush for bakery, mutton and clothes increased as people in large numbers were seen making purchases of their choicest items for the occasion.
Most areas of downtown Srinagar, including Jamia Masjid, Nohta, Rajouri Kadal and Khojabazar, were abuzz with shoppers making purchases from brand stores for the festival.
Lal Chowk and other markets, including Amirakadal, Hari Singh High Street, Goni Khan, and Maharaja Bazaar, also witnessed a surge of shoppers. However, some shopkeepers complained of less business as people made purchases online.
In several markets in the north of the city, people were seen making purchases from street vendors.
Despite the bustling activity, traders expressed concern about lower-than-expected sales and a drop in business this time around.
According to them, the skyrocketing prices of the items further hindered sales, when the government chose to abolish price regulation mechanisms instead of abolishing price control.
Demand for edible items, especially mutton, baked goods and confectionery, has surged leading to long queues forming outside retail shops catering to Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, a resident of south Kashmir’s Anantang district.
He said that the traditional bazaar was lacking in the markets of South Kashmir due to aggravating economic conditions of the people.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) Secretary General Umar Nazir Tibet Begal, who is also the owner of a travel agency, said that with the onset of the holiday, it is only the buzz in the market and the buying sentiment has gone down as people are shopping mainly which includes food and groceries.
He said the market failed to recover this holiday season, likely due to economic uncertainty.
