Shopping malls and garment stores in the city wore a festive look on the occasion of Navaratri with shoppers thronging them to purchase new clothes for Dasara. Small traders, who had incurred losses due to the lockdown and the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, are hoping for a revival this Dasara and Deepavali seasons.
Though online shopping sites started festive offers, a good amount of shoppers made beeline for garment stores. Many stores offered special discounts to their customers on saris, kids wear and other sections. Women were seen in large number purchasing saris. Offers like two saris for ₹1,200 attracted women at a shopping mall at Jagadamba Junction.
“We could not celebrate Ganesh puja and a few other festivals since the last six-months due to COVID-19 situation. We plan to celebrate Ayudha Pooja and Bommala Koluvu during the Dasara festival,” said N Shanthi, a resident of Murali Nagar.
Meanwhile, markets were seen overcrowded with people rushing to buy puja materials for the festival. The main roads and bylanes at Jagadamba Junction, Dwaraka Nagar, Gopalapatnam, Old Gajuwaka and Poorna Market were full of festival shoppers.
“Buying clothes from garment stores is a different experience, which we do not get in online purchase. As good discounts are being provided, we are buying for Deepavali also,” said D. Madhav Reddy, an employee of a private company. COVID-19 safety norms were ignored at many places during shopping. A few persons alleged that many youngsters were carelessly removing their masks or wearing it on their chin, which could spread infections. A few small shops have stopped providing sanitisers to their customers before they enter the shops. Some pushcart vendors and sellers are also violating the basic norms.
