E-Paper
In e-tail era, Lucknow’s Aminabad is still the go-to market for festive shoppers
The market is chock-a-block with people flocking to shops from early morning to well past midnight; decor and gift outlets are the biggest magnets for shoppers
Prefer HTon Google
LUCKNOW The narrow lanes of Aminabad continue to be the most preferred destination for festive shoppers in the age of malls and e- commerce platforms. Ahead of Dhanteras and Diwali, the historic market has come alive with an array of essentials ranging from décor items, earthen diyas to traditional clothing and utensils, portraying a picture of celebration.
The market is chock-a-block with people flocking to shops from early morning to well past midnight. Shops dotting the Qaiserbagh crossing and Nazirabad are bustling with business with decor/gift outlets being the biggest magnets for shoppers. Apparel shops too are crowded with the wedding season underway.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Kamal Kishore Agarwal has extended his 96-year-old gift store in Aminabad till the footpath, where people wait for their turn to enter the shop. “Our business grows significant growth during Diwali. There’s more footfall as people’s purchasing power has increased,” he said.
He said Aminabad draws crowds because of unique and reasonably priced products that aren’t available in malls.
Apart from being a market for festive and wedding items, Aminabad has something for everyone – be it food stalls, clothes, crockery, electronics, repair shops, gift/decor shops, footwear, jewellery, idols, cosmetics, books, etc, he added.
For festive shopping, Aminabad has been the go-to market for Pooja Rastogi for many years. “You get almost everything you possibly need, and at reasonable rates. Why would we go anywhere else?” she asked.
“Each and every lane is bustling…there is no place to take even a two-wheeler out of the house. I will have to park my vehicle at my friend’s house because our street is packed with enthusiastic shoppers till at least 1 am these days,” said Pawan Sharma, a resident of Aminabad.
He said Aminabad is like this every festive season. “This is a wholesale market. There are over 10-12 options of shops for any item. This provides people with the opportunity to compare and bargain, which one cannot do at a mall,” added Sharma.
The main attractions are Mumtaz market, Gadbadjhala, Nazirabad, Shanti market, Swadesh market, Pratap Market, book market among others.
‘ZAROORAT KA BAZAAR’
Going by the number of power metres, there are around 12,000 big and small shops in different lanes of the market, as per the traders’ association of Aminabad. While some sellers have proper establishments, others roam with their wares draped across their body, push a cart piled with their items or simply lay out their wares on a mat on the road for customers.
“Aminabad is a ‘zaroorat ka bazaar’ despite other markets in the city. It dominates as it caters to the middle class. People from 25 nearby districts also come here and Diwali sees exponential rush due to the wedding season,” said Jitendra Singh Chauhan, state president, Stationary Vikretra and Nirmata Association and general secretary of Lucknow Vyapar Mandal.
“We also call it ‘budget ka bazaar’ as 80% of the middle and lower class population visits us. This proves we have ‘abadi ka strength’ (strength of population). People get everything - from a needle to cloth. During Diwali, home decor and utensils sell the most,” he added.
Chauhan believes that Aminabad has huge potential and needs to be developed systematically by the government. “It should be developed like Hazratganj, so that other sections of customers can also come here,” he suggested.
