Delhi’s lehenga hub gets back in business as sales pick up

Getting back to the old routine, shopkeepers are pleased to see sales returning to normal slowly but steadily

It’s a busy and happy start to the New Year for the lehenga stores in Chandni Chowk, as they witness signs of revival after several months of sluggish business due to Covid-19 pandemic. Getting back to the old routine, shopkeepers are pleased to see sales returning to normal slowly but steadily, bustling bylanes packed with shoppers.

“After being shut for a few months, we reopened in May. The months of June and July saw the shift to video appointments for local customers, previously only available for NRI clients. Business started picking up from August onwards as the wedding season was set to begin from October, and it takes approximately two to two-and-a-half months to put together a bridal outfit. So, we received a good number of queries and in-store appointments since then,” says Mohit Dalmia, designer, Aditya & Mohit, a unit of Dalmia Fashions who eventually stopped taking video appointments due to the low conversion rate. The store has also reduced the appointments from 30 a day to 18-20, to adhere to safety norms.

Considering the current situation, do brides still believe, “Main shaadi karungi toh sirf Kareena wala designer lehenga pehan ke karungi...” or has the limited guest list also forced shoppers to cut down on expensive bridal wear? “From three functions, couples and families are opting for one celebration, that too with restricted members, toh log thoda sochte hai ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh ka lehenga lene ke liye,” says Rajan Bansal, owner, Kala Shree Regalia, who adds the season was buzzing till Diwali. He hopes it will pick up after Lohri.

Echoing the sentiment, Sanjay Vij, owner, Om Prakash Jawahar Lal says, “Shopping budgets have reduced as money has become a constraint for many. But luckily, sales have slowly started returning to normal. November and December were the peak, and with weddings lined up after January 13, this month and February look good as we have a lot of deliveries scheduled.” Vij further adds, “We often design a lehenga within 40 days, but in the lockdown it took three to three-and-a-half months for one piece as karkhanas were shut and there was a shortage of karigars.”

During lockdown not only the retail stores being shut for more than six months duration but also the manufacturing setups being suspended for even longer. Ankit Keyal, founder, Asiana Couture, believes that one must realise as entrepreneurs, every hurdle towards the path of success is a window of opportunity that must be availed at the correct time. He says, “In this case, virtual appointments for brides opened up new avenues for us to grow digitally and help our brand reach new heights of customer service and experience. It created a pathway for more and more recognition of our label through digital and social media channels. Now, we can see that the business is beginning to pick up slowly and steadily. The market atmosphere is still uncertain as the pandemic is not over yet, but that being said, it has been a year of learning and growing and finding creative and rather unconventional methods of paving the path ahead for the brand.”

Interact with author/sanchita_kalra.