In Goa, Ganesh Chaturthi is a very important festival. As a result, the last two days have shown that people, in the shadow of Covid, are not reluctant to buy even during financial difficulties. In two days, the state has generated a turnover of over Rs 100 crore.
Purchases in the three main markets of Margao, Panaji and Mapusa are encouraging and Margao is expected to have a turnover of Rs 40 crore in three days. According to the industry, Food, clothing, sweets, and ornaments were in high demand whereas the response to electronic and automobile goods has been relatively low.
When Manoj Caculo, the promoter of the famous Caculo Mall, was asked, the customer response was better this time than last year. People came out this time to shop. The last two days saw people queuing for shopping in malls. Crowds were seen at Ulhas Jewelers in Madgaon.
Vikram Verlekar of Ulhas Jewelers said that the response received on the last day was satisfactory. The turnover in the Goa market may have gone up to over Rs 100 crore due to the Chaturthi festival, but it is less than the Rs 300 crore during the Ervi festival, he said.
Yogesh Kunkalayekar, the owner of Kamakshi DigiWorld, a chain showroom, said that although people did not skimp on clothes and other necessities during the Chaturthi period, they turned their backs on relatively luxurious electronics.
Big business in Mapusa market too
Narayan Karekar, President, All Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mapusa, said that the market has received a satisfactory response from consumers in the last two to three days of Chaturthi. Before that, there was a shortage of customers. Therefore, it cannot be said that the traders made huge profits.
Nevertheless, looking at the current situation of Covid, it is satisfactory. Assuming that there are about two thousand traders in the Mapusa market if the daily turnover of each trader or seller in the fourth quarter is assumed to be ten thousand, the daily turnover of this market is about two crores.