Festive season fails to bring cheer to Amritsar traders

Neeraj Bagga

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Amritsar, October 10

The all is well with the economy image being projected because of the record hike in GST collections is actually due to inflation shooting up the cost of commodities and increase in exports, said a cross-section of retailers.

The spurt in sales during the festive season has not pleased retailers, including ready-made, suiting-shirting, FMCG and others as they complain of online sale eating out their share and the high cost keeping a large number of customers away.

Krishan Kumar Sharma, a businessman, said only the government was happy as its tax collection had increased. The three major blows of demonetisation, GST introduction and Covid-19 restrictions increased not only the cost of commodities but also their transportation.

Ravi Arora, a leading retailer, said the families, who depend upon salaries or fixed income, cut down their expenditure on suiting-shirting, branded apparels and ready-made garments as their expenditure on FMCG and groceries shot up by 25 to 30 per cent. A member of the All India Retailers Association, Arora said in comparison to the Covid-19 induced restrictions, sale at the retail counter had really spiked but there was at least 15 to 20 per cent decline in comparison to the 2018-2019 fiscal.

He said, “The online share of shopping was increasing but the state share of GST was being denied because of increase in online sale.”