As the air in Bengaluru cools down, the city’s busy shopping streets are buzzing with excitement for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Businessmen say that the BWSSB has dug a road connecting the commercial street to lay the sanitary pipe, but the business has not been affected much. “Commercial road is busy as always. Civil works have not caused much inconvenience as there are other parallel roads,” said Sanjay Motwani, Bengaluru Chamber of Commerce.
This year, he said, there is a strange trend among office Christmas party shoppers. “We saw a lot of women coming in to get dresses for office Christmas parties. With most company employees now playing Secret Santa, we have also seen an increase in gift shopping for colleagues,” he added.
Shoppers on Commercial Street say the street is perfect for Christmas shopping as it has a variety of businesses. “I buy different gifts depending on the recipient. For families, it’s usually cake and wine. But for friends, I like to pick personal items like Christmas cards and small decorations – mistletoe, cribs, little Santas,” said Amita Reggie George, a college student.
In markets in and around Chikpet, business is expected to pick up over the weekend. “The business is yet to pick up speed. We know that the weekend will be busy as 70% of our overall business is on the weekend before Christmas,” said Sajjan Raj Mehta, trader and activist.
Besides wines and cakes, handmade candles, eco-friendly gifts, perfumes, artificial lighting and home decor are popular among shoppers in Bengaluru. Some have started preferring hand-made gifts or handicrafts from small businesses to mass-produced gifts.
Nishant Gupta, a 23-year-old business analyst from Malleswaram, said buying from local businesses is a way to support local artisans. “Small businesses offer personalized gifts. They listen to what you want and make something special. Plus, you’re helping someone’s livelihood. That’s the real spirit of Christmas,” he said.
published – Dec 21, 2024 at 07:02 pm IST