KUALA LUMPUR: With just under a week left to Deepavali, traders are battling against time, continuous rain and intense competition to draw in customers.
There is also the question of prices of imported goods, all of which have gone up.
Still, the Deepavali atmosphere is in the air in Brickfields.
Booth owner Sumathi Devi, who sells imitation jewellery sets, said that despite the many shortcomings, she was pleased to have customers.
“Although it is raining almost every day, customers are all in the Deepavali spirit and are thrilled to shop with their loved ones, which makes me happy,” said the 41-year-old as dozens of buyers haggled in the drizzle at her bustling stall.
Devotional songs blared from loudspeakers from a nearby shop.
Textile booth owner Prema Latha Subramaniam, 31, said business was bustling but the rainfall almost every evening, just as customers come in, was bothersome.
“Most shoppers arrive after 6pm, but as the rain also starts around the same time, we are forced to shut our booths and wait out the downpour,” said Prema, whose store offers traditional Indian women’s clothes such as kurti tops.
Prema said she still received a fair number of customers and stayed open until midnight, but business was not back to what it was before the pandemic.
“Back then, consumers would shop until almost dawn here. Today, Brickfields is just not as lively as it once was,” she added.
Prema stated that since most textiles were imported from India, prices had increased.
“In order to turn a profit, we have to charge higher prices but this has caused us to face tight competition.“There are an increasing number of stalls and shops selling almost similar products, but for a lower price,” said the proprietor of the booth branded as Lara Fashion.
Two siblings from Kuantan, Divya Ramachandran, 22, and Priya, 24, who each bought two sets of faux jewellery at Sumathi’s stall, said they used to come to Brickfields for Deepavali shopping every year before the pandemic, but hadn’t done so for the last two years.
“I’m truly glad to be back here. Nothing can match the atmosphere and the variety here.
“We don’t mind the rain because our main focus now is on shopping,” said Divya.
Footwear vendor Yohnes Saviour who opened up his booth in Brickfield’s Diwali Grand Bazaar, said he was delighted to see customers swarming the bazaar without any restrictions.
“I see this year’s Deepavali as a victory after two years of hardship, losses and separation.
“It is reassuring to see vendors and customers still wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and sanitising their hands,” said the 38-year-old business manager of Eezy Buy Store.
A shopper, who only wanted to be known as Kavinraj, said that merely strolling through Brickfields had got him into the Deepavali spirit.
“There is no place like Brickfields to do Deepavali shopping for us city dwellers.
“The shopping amid the loud music, bright lights and huge range of shops and stalls is enough to get you in the mood,” he added.