Bhotekoshi disaster affects Teej market, business limited to 30 to 50 percent
Parbati Bhandari/Nepal News Bank
Kathmandu. The devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River of Rasuwa on August 26 has directly affected the Teej target market. Traders have said that the business of clothes, bangles, jewelry, which are in high demand especially during Teej, has not been as expected as compared to the past.
Although the market should be bustling with the approaching Teej, this year due to natural disasters and the overall situation of the country, the spending capacity of consumers and enthusiasm to celebrate the festival has decreased, according to entrepreneurs. Sangam Muskan Marasani, who runs a cosmetics business in Kalanki, told Nepal News Bank that no new goods have been imported in large quantities for Teej this year. He said that the current demand is being met by the stock kept in the warehouse by importing in the past. According to him, due to the natural disaster, the supply of some goods has been affected due to the swept away large quantities of goods of some traders. He said that although there is a shortage of some goods due to the damage caused by the floods, there is no immediate problem in the use of bangles, pots and other items used more during Teej.
“This time no new goods have been brought in large quantities for Teej. Now the business is being done with the stock that was brought earlier,” Marasani said. He said that although the demand for red clothes, bangles, bangles and other cosmetics will increase as Teej approaches, this time the overall market situation has affected it. He said that due to natural calamities, the consumer has focused on daily needs and there has been a decrease in the purchase of non-essential items related to the festival.
He said that the traders have not even taken the risk of adding new stock as the demand is expected to be low this year. He clarified that although the supply system has been affected due to floods and landslides, there is no immediate shortage of major Teej materials like bangles, pota, etc.
He said that due to the high price of gold, the ability to buy gold ornaments has decreased, while the business of bangles, pots and artificial jewelry is being traded. However, he said that the country is in mourning due to natural calamities, so there is no atmosphere to celebrate Teej as enthusiastically as in the past. According to Marasini, the trade of bangles, jewelry and cosmetics has been limited to about 30 to 50 percent compared to the past.
‘Now the price of gold has become untouchable. So these ornaments are being sold. But the business is not like before. Now the country is in mourning. Therefore, Teej is not celebrated as a festival like before. The business is only 30 to 50 percent,” he said.
He said that although the supply system has been affected due to floods and disasters, the supply of goods from India has not been completely stopped. He said that goods are coming through land and air. He said that the goods of some traders brought from Tatopani border point have been washed away by the floods.
Similarly, another businessman Ronnie Shrestha said that the business has decreased significantly this year compared to last year. He said that the supply of goods due to floods and landslides has been affected and it has had a direct impact on the business. She said that with the decrease in the movement in the market, the sale of expensive goods has decreased and the demand for cheap goods has increased.
“I bring the goods from outside. I buy the goods from wholesale. Now the business is much less than last year. It has been very difficult since the floods. The business was good before, but now it is decreasing a lot after the floods. Due to the landslide, the goods are falling,” she said.
According to Shrestha, now customers prefer cheap items like bangles and potte more than expensive and gold-plated goods. She said that the sale of expensive goods has declined due to less activity in the market compared to last year. “Now cheap items like chura-pote are sold more. The number of gold-plated items is very low now. There is no hustle and bustle like last year. It is even less after the floods.
So there are a lot of cheap items to go to now,” she said.
Shrestha said that the retail trade has also been affected due to the lack of sufficient goods in the wholesale market. Similarly, Apeksha Dhungel, a businessman of Kurtha and women’s and children’s clothing, said that the business situation is weak this year. He said that his business has not been able to do even 25 percent of the business this year compared to last year.
“It cannot be said that there is no business in the country when there is mourning. But the traders suffer when they do not get the return on their investment. Now the business is very down,” said Dhungel.
According to her, the movement of people in the market has also decreased. She said that due to the death of a large number of people and many families are in mourning, the environment of visiting the market and shopping is not possible as usual. “When people are missing, there is no talk of relatives visiting the market. I am also from Nuwakot, so I am in pain. I am working because I am in business, but the market is not very active,” she said. Dhungel, who has been doing business for about 6 years, said that the business situation has been weak this year compared to the past. Targeting Teej, businessmen bring red and pink sarees, kurtas and other clothes in large quantities every year. But this year, due to the decrease in Teej programs and mass eating programs, the demand for traditional Teej attire has also decreased.
According to her, there was enough stock of red-pink clothes for Teej this year as her business was importing clothes directly from India. However, she said that the wholesale sales were also affected due to the lack of expected customers.
‘We had dropped a lot of goods in the red-pink test for Teej. But this time we could not sell wholesale. Customers are not coming,” she said. Although the demand for cosmetics, clothes and jewelry is expected to increase in the market as Teej approaches, this year the business has not been as per the expectations of the traders. Traders say that the recent floods and other disasters have affected the target market due to the change in consumer priorities, the impact on the supply system and the grief in the country.
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