CHANDNI CHOWK: A SHOPPER'S PARADISE
Local shopkeepers play an important role in todays society.
An area as popular and crowded as chandni chowk is famous mainly because of its
sellers. They are so good at what they do because most of the shops are
ancestral and are functioning since a very long time.
Chandni chowk is a shopaholic’s paradise.
For habitual shoppers it’s a major attraction. Its located
opposite to the red fort.
The market it far from gorgeous looking shops with amazing
interiors in posh markets or the conventional air conditioned malls yet its
importance can be seen among wholesale retailers.
FURTHERMORE, I interviewed a salesperson who sold and
specialized in “Bollywood Replica sarees”. I began my interview by asking him
that when did he start this business. He told me that he did not own the shop
and that the owner had gone to the workshop as he had some urgent work. He told
me to wait for a few minutes as his boss was just on his way back. I then got
to know that he wasn’t the owner of the shop. I did as he said, but then I
thought of interviewing him. I asked him, since when had he been working at
that shop. He told me that he was working there since 3 years, he did not seem
very happy about it though. On asking about if the owner did some other
business before this, he replied, “no he had started this business some 5 years
back when this Bollywood fever had started”.
I also asked him about their making , so he told me that all
the sarees were made and came from Mumbai. All their main workshops were there,
but minor alterations could be done in the small workshop that they had in
chandni chowk itself.
He himself told me about the first piece that came out and
started the business. It was a saree worn by priyanka chopra at an event like
about 6 years down the line. I asked him about what did he do to survive before
this. He told me that he was a salesman since 9 years and before that he was
just a kid who did not do anything but stay at home in bihar.
After sometime, the owner of the shop came and I started to
interview him. I asked him about him and his family and their living
conditions. He told me that he did not live in a very hygienic place and that
his two children were suffering from various diseases one of them being
tuberculosis. He told me that he was the owner of the shop and that 12 people
worked under him. The age group of people working under him was from
20-77. According to him most of sale
occurred during the festive season. I asked him about what time did he open and
close his shop. He told me that there was no particular timing but he opened it
around12 in the afternoon and closed it around 7 in the evening. He told me
that he did not have any other outlets on being asked about it.
All in all I would say that it was a really good experience
to interview some people on my own. I can confidently say that it really did help
me in my communication skills, and made me a better speaker.
In the end I would really like to give some tips for going
to chandni chowk:
1. Pay special attention to your pockets
2. Beware of touts and duplicate products
3. DON’T FORGET TO BARGAIN. If other markets are offering
you something at a price of 500, you would get the same stuff here at flat
fifty percent rate.
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