Ahmedabad: Dussehra fails to beat evil of slowdown

While is it a custom to eat fafda and jalebi on Dussehra, owner of sweet and farsan shops said that this is the second year in succession wherein the impact of the festive season has not been felt. While exact numbers are impossible to get, shop owners estimate a dip of 25 per cent sales compared to what is expected during Dussehra.

It like a tradition to consume fafda and jalebi on Dussehra and people across the state enjoy them on this day. There is no official data on the consumption but conservative estimates say close to two lakh kg of fafda and jalebi worth more than Rs 10 crore are consumed in Ahmedabad. However, of late the sales are not what they used to be.

"Sales have been weak. This is for the second year in succession that sales have been below our expectations. Earlier, customers used to come with huge orders. Now, there is hardly any order of one kilogram. You may see the footfalls and queues, but that is not converting into higher sales. People trust their regular sweet shops and not those who mushrooms up on this day," Murli Agarwal, president of Ahmedabad Mithai Farsan Association.

Fafdas have been priced at upwards of Rs 500 – 600 per kg, while jalebi is priced in the range of 600 – 700. Halwais say changing lifestyle and related diseases have also caused a decline in sales. With patients of blood pressure do not it namkeen, while those with diabetics have to control sugar and so consume fewer sweets.

Jaswant Patel, owner of Jaihind Sweets said that sales have dropped by close to 25 per cent compared to the previous year. "There is a severe slowdown. We do not feel that the festive period is going on. The youth has a different lifestyle and their preference for food have changed. Even during Navratri, there was no significant uptick in sales, although we had expectations that demand would grow,'" said Patel. He said that this year's festive season has remained dull since Rakshabandhan and it is unlikely to change till Diwali.

Kamlesh Kandoi, partner of 174-year old brand Kandoi Bhogilal Mulchand said that halwais had predicted a drop in demand and therefore managed inventory accordingly. "Earlier we used to make things a day in advance, but now we prepare them as per the demand. So you may see long queues, but that is to ensure that we do not have an inventory and customers get fresh food. However, since fafda is made of besan, it does not get stale for a couple of days, but the chutney has to be managed," said Kandoi.

He lamented while a few years ago, by this time corporate orders started pouring in for Diwali, this year no such orders have come so far, an indication of the market.