ANIL MISHRA
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PANJIM: The festive season in Goa has brought mixed fortunes for small vendors selling Christmas décor and knick-knacks, as the growing presence of online retailers and a surge in local shops have led to dwindling sales and thinning profit margins.
Both permanent and seasonal vendors, who heavily rely on the Christmas market, have voiced concerns about a significant drop in customers and margins. Many attribute this to rising competition and changing consumer habits.
Roshan Kale, a vendor operating a stall selling Christmas decorations, shared his struggles. “We source our products mostly from Mumbai and set up stalls about 20 days before Christmas. However, with rising input costs, wholesalers are supplying goods at higher rates, yet we’re forced to sell them at the same or marginally increased prices as last year,” he explained.
Kale highlighted the squeeze on margins, saying, “For example, a cap that cost us Rs 45 last year is Rs 48 this year. We can only sell it at Rs 50 or Rs 55. With so many new shops emerging, we cannot afford to charge higher prices and risk losing customers.”
Similarly, Babu Dessai, a vendor dealing in Christmas decorations, observed, “Prices of items have risen by 10 to 20 percent. However, people are delaying their shopping this year. Earlier, we had fewer competitors, but now, many shops are selling the same items, leaving us with fewer customers.”
The sentiment was echoed by other vendors like Ameen Saheb Ganjikatti, who stated, “Footfall has reduced drastically. Reasons range from more online shopping options and items being available in malls, to the sheer number of vendors in the market now.”
Amid the vendors’ struggles, buyers also expressed their challenges. Charlotte D’Costa, a homemaker shopping for Christmas decorations, noted, “The rising prices of sweets and decorations are affecting our household budgets. Everything is 10 to 20 percent costlier compared to last year.”
Despite the concerns, some vendors reported relatively stable business. Floyd Pereira, who runs a Tea Centre and sells homemade food items, stated, “The business this year is so far okay.”
