Roadside winter wear stalls doing brisk business

HYDERABAD: Come winter and one will find the city dotted with temporary roadside stalls selling winter wear. Cashing in on the seasonal business opportunity, which lasts for up to six months, stocks are brought in from Delhi and Ludhiana by settlers or those coming from outside especially for the purpose and head home hopefully after making a modest profit. Some come over for employment purposes.

Vendors said that business was yet to pick up pace but would increase over the next two months.

Shravan Kumar from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, who has a stall at Kali Mandir road in Peerancheru, said, “I come to Hyderabad for four months every year to sell winter wear products. I save around `50,000 after selling 80 per cent of the stock that I bring”.

These stalls sell the entire range of winter clothing, including blankets, sweaters, jackets, gloves, woolen mufflers, scarves and monkey caps at reasonable rates. They attract a massive response from customers.

Siblings Arun and Karan, also from MP, have been coming to the city for the last three years. They have a stall at the roadside near Bapu Ghat on the Narsingi highway. Arun said “We try to achieve more sales each season so that we can take home some good money.”

A 17-year-old Arun Parmar said that he had come here for work for the first time and was a bit nervous about the sale.

On the other hand, customers found the clothing at these stalls to be of good quality and the prices affordable.

K. Suman who had come to buy sweaters for her son and husband, said, “There is a scope to bargain at these stalls unlike the showrooms. The quality is also good and the sweaters provide enough warmth.”

Md. Irfan, a resident of Golconda, bought sweaters for the entire family as he was about to travel out of the city.

“I am buying sweaters from this stall for the first time, but I liked the quality and the price, which can suffice for one season, unlike costly winter wear in the malls.”