The recent Christmas and New Year season painted a picture of starkly contrasting fortunes for Bengaluru's prominent shopping destinations. While some commercial hubs buzzed with enthusiastic crowds and ringing cash registers, others faced a worrying slump, highlighting a deepening divide in the city's retail landscape.
Festive Cheer Boosts Brigade Road and Commercial Street
Brigade Road and Commercial Street, adorned with festive lights and decorations, were the epicentres of holiday cheer and commercial success. These areas witnessed swelling crowds and a significant uptick in business, buoyed by a vibrant atmosphere that attracted families and visitors alike.
Suhail Yusuf, Secretary of the Brigade Road Shops and Establishments Association, reported a steady post-Covid recovery, with sales showing an overall improvement of around 20–30% compared to the previous year. "New brands are also coming in, and the brand mix has improved," he noted, adding that the crowds were so large that traffic and parking restrictions had to be imposed.
Echoing this positive sentiment, Mayank Rohatgi, Secretary of the Commercial Street Association, described the holiday season as delivering "fantastic business." Footfall was clearly higher than last year, with the street remaining jam-packed even post noon due to last-minute shoppers. Demand was particularly strong for apparel, party wear, and gifting items, with many Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) contributing to the upbeat shopping sentiment. Rohatgi estimated business to be up by around 20% this season.
Struggle for Traditional Markets: Chickpet and Ibrahim Sahib Street
In sharp contrast, the festive spirit failed to translate into sales for other traditional markets like Chickpet and Ibrahim Sahib Street. Traders here grappled with a grim combination of falling footfalls, intense online competition, and civic issues, leading to a drastic dip in business.
Sajjan Raj Mehta, a trader from Chickpet and former President of the Karnataka Hosiery and Garment Association, stated that Christmas sales were merely "average" this year. He pointed out that online purchases far outpaced physical store sales. While tourist-heavy hubs thrived, areas like Chickpet recorded lower sales, partly because many residents travelled during the year-end holidays.
The situation was even more severe on Ibrahim Sahib Street. Paras Mal Mali, Treasurer of the Ibrahim Saheb Traders Association, reported that business was "extremely poor," with Christmas sales down by over 50–60% compared to last year. He lamented that festive activity was nowhere near the levels seen five or ten years ago.
Mali cited two major challenges: unchecked footpath vending, which made parking and pedestrian access difficult, and the relentless rise of online sales. The impact has been severe, with daily turnover now plummeting to just Rs 20,000–30,000 from over Rs 1 lakh earlier.
A Divided Retail Reality: Key Takeaways
The festive season has laid bare a clear bifurcation in Bengaluru's retail sector. The contrasting narratives reveal several key trends:
- Experience-Driven Shopping Thrives: Destinations like Brigade Road and Commercial Street succeeded by offering more than just products—they provided a festive experience, decorations, and an atmosphere that drew crowds.
- Online Competition is Reshaping Markets: Traditional markets, often reliant on routine and necessity shopping, are bearing the brunt of the shift to e-commerce.
- Civic Management Matters: Issues like unregulated street vending and parking chaos directly deter customers, further disadvantaging already struggling traditional markets.
- Tourist Footfall is Key: Areas that attract tourists and leisure shoppers during holidays performed significantly better than those catering primarily to local, need-based customers.
This divide underscores a broader transformation where the survival and success of physical retail hubs increasingly depend on their ability to create compelling in-person experiences and adapt to changing consumer habits, while also relying on effective urban management to ensure accessibility and convenience.
