Ahmedabad Shopping Festival flops: High rents, low turnout drive vendors away

Updated: Nov 11th, 2024


High rents and poor sales have officially turned the city’s “Shopping Festival” into a flop, with Law Garden and Sindhu Bhavan Road (SBR), among 18 locations, turning into mere selfie destinations. 

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) planned the event as a 95-day extravaganza. However, four out of seven food stalls at Law Garden have shut down within 29 days of the festival’s launch, while 10 out of 12 food vendors at SBR have also closed their operations. 

Vendors cite the unsustainable daily rent of ₹3,000 (₹3,500 with GST) as the primary reason for closure. 

“Our daily income ranges between ₹150 and ₹350,” said an employee at the only operational stall at Law Garden. Opening day revenues were particularly dismal, with one stall reporting earnings of just ₹76, while some vendors failed to make any sales.

At SBR, only artisan stalls remain operational due to their rent-free arrangements. “We don't have to pay rent,” explained one artisan vendor. “But food vendors here are paid stallholders, and most have left because the cost is too high.”

One persisting food vendor at SBR stated, “We’ve already paid the rent in advance, so we’re staying for now. Otherwise, we would have closed much earlier.”

Of the handful that remain, many stallowners have left their setups unattended, stating they cannot cover both rent and staff salaries. 

The lack of attractive promotional offers has further contributed to low customer turnout. 

On the other hand, the AMC’s additions of lighting and selfie points have drawn the attention of entertainment-starved, selfie-seeking youth — but that is hardly the silver lining vendors were looking for. 

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