Lokhandwala market goes dark this diwali; shop owners blame online shopping

The Diwali tradition of putting up string lights in the Lokhandwala market along Lokhandwala Complex Road which has been going on for many years will not be followed this year The streets which usually had a canopy of string lights along the whole stretch of the road 15 days before the festival are now bare with some shop owners only decorating their shop frontsVyapari mandal SpeakThe reason for this shift in tradition lies in a heavy fall in profit for the whole market Speaking with midday Raichand Jain president of the Lokhandwala Vyapari Mandal said ldquoThe sales at shops in the market have fallen by almost 4050 per cent as people are choosing to buy things online now They are ready to buy things online even if they are costlier than what we offer The convenience of getting things delivered to their homes has made our business difficultrdquoAndherirsquos Lokhandwala Market transforms into a riot of colours and lights during Diwali 2023 FILE PICThis is not the first time that the Vyapari mandal has decided not to string up lights for Diwali The previous two incidents that Jain could remember were for different reasons ldquoIn 2006 when the recession was about to hit and we lost profits due to that we decided not to put on the lightsrdquo The second time that the market wasnrsquot adorned was during the pandemic in 2020 when the mandal took the decision to avoid crowding which happens at the market between Diwali and Christmas mdash the duration for which the lights are kept up Jain said that it costs over Rs 1 lakh for the lights to be put up and for electricityShop vendors disheartenedGanesh Appaji Kamble who owns a small tailoring stall said ldquoLeave aside the Rs 20000Rs 30000 that each one of us used to contribute each year for the lights we arenrsquot even able to give Rs 10000 This market has faced a very steep fall in sales especially due to online optionsrdquo Another tailor who has a similar shop to Kambles said ldquoI have had loyal customers who now tell me that they have found an online website that does alterations and other work on clothes They said that they wonrsquot come to me anymore With such things happening how do we even celebrate Diwali We donrsquot have Diwali this yearrdquoldquoEven if we now declare to the rest of the city that we are drowning in stagnation what change will it bring No one wants to leave the comfort of getting things delivered to their doorstep It is not because there is a drop in the number of people who come to shop during Diwali but because in general throughout the year we have seen fewer people come to our shopsrdquo said a fashion jewellery shop ownerSukhdev Singh a flower seller at the end of the market street said ldquoWe keep our prices the same throughout the year and donrsquot inflate them during festivals but the loss we have faced due to online delivery options is a lot Putting up the lights is not even an option we considered because we simply cannot afford itrdquoPeople SpeakShoppers at the market are surprised by the absence of lights this year Forum Shah who lives in one of the bylines from the market expressed her surprise about the lights not being already put up this year ldquoI was just wondering today as to why the lights arenrsquot already installed But if the reason is due to people not coming to the shops and choosing online services then it is very sadrdquo she saidShah is among those who believe in supporting local shops for getting her daily products ldquoIt is only for lastminute purchases when I order from the apps that deliver to doorsteps but for my daily groceries and other things I have taken the time to develop relations with the shop and stall owners around my house who directly send the order home But at any point of the day depending on the time I have I choose to come down and buy things from the shops myself which might not be possible for the people who have different working hours or young people who are still figuring out their schedulesrdquoBharat Ranga who was out shopping said ldquoMy family has 5050 balance in the things we purchase online and in person There are times when we order online because those things arenrsquot available in the shops here But for festivals getting out and buying things is an experience in itself It is sad the lights arenrsquot being put uprdquoKaran Jotwani cofounder of Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association said ldquoWe have been pushing for people to buy more from local shops but for now it is too late to put up the lights Everyone prefers to buy online and there is heavy competition for the shop owners now But luckily we still have people who prefer going to the shops and I also make an active effort to buy from storesrdquoAnother shopper said ldquoIt is a shame that the lights which have been a part of our whole life in Mumbai are now not being installed because we have decided that things need to be delivered to our doorstep Maybe this is supposed to be a wakeup call for us to make better purchasing decisionsrdquoPeoplersquos perspectiveClothing Preference to buy online as people believe there is a wider variety of options availablebDoorstep delivery provides comfort and convenience especially to those whose working hours arenrsquot fixedFashion jewellery Much more options available at the click of a button with several offers to attract customersShopkeepersrsquo perspectiveClothing Shopkeepers say that they donrsquot just offer variety but are also willing to order styles people want at a lower rate than onlineGroceries People can see firsthand what they are buying Shopkeepers claim that in many instances they have better quality goods than what is sold onlineFashion jewellery Ready to bargain and negotiate on price with customers one can easily find similar deals to what is offered onlineVoicesRaichand Jain president Lokhandwala Vyapari MandallsquoThe sales at shops in the market have fallen by almost 4050 per cent as people are choosing to buy things online now They are ready to buy things online even if they are costlier than what we offer The convenience of getting things delivered to their homes has made our business difficultrsquoGanesh Appaji Kamble tailorlsquoLeave aside the Rs 20000Rs 30000 that each one of us used to contribute each year for the lights we arenrsquot even able to give R10000 This market has faced a very steep fall in sales especially due to online optionsrsquoBharat Ranga local residentlsquoThere are times when we order online because those things arenrsquot available in the shops here But for festivals getting out and buying things is an experience in itself It is very sad that the lights arenrsquot being put on this yearrsquoSukhdev Singh flower sellerlsquoWe keep our prices the same throughout the year and donrsquot inflate them during festivals but the loss we have faced due to online delivery options is a lot Putting up the lights is not even an option we considered because we simply cannot afford itrsquoForum Shah Lokhandwala residentlsquoI was just wondering today as to why the lights arenrsquot already installed But if the reason is due to people not coming to the shops and choosing online services then it is very sadrsquo