The traders in the city demanded that odd-even formula introduced by the State Government for opening shops of non-essential items should be discontinued as it is creating confusion for the customers.With the odd-even rule in practice most customers are not even aware on which days the shops are open in a particular market. It becomes a waste of time and money for the customers if they go to a particular shop and find it closed on that day.
Shankar Khemchandani, Director of Satish Saree Niketan stated that due to practical difficulties, the odd-even formula of opening shops should be scrapped. It is very difficult for shopkeepers to operate their businesses under such conditions. The markets need customers to return and start spending to revive demand in the local markets. As the festive season is starting from next month, the Government should allow shops to open on all the days of the week.He added.
This will help the Government achieve the objective of controlling and reducing crowding in the markets. If the shops are open on all the days, overcrowding can be avoided in the shops. Kishore Seth, Director of Batukbhai Jewellers and Sons, said that the odd even rule is difficult to follow and for customers it is creating more confusion. It is found that most customers often neglect the advertisements specifying the open days of the showroom. Customers want convenience of shopping according to the time they have on hand. For this the shops need to be open on a continuous basis. The odd-even formula is not suitable for the jewellery business. It is obstructing continuation of business. The odd-even norm does not benefit the traders as only half of the business is done during the month, he pointed out. Jaiprakash Parekh, Former Secretary of NVCC said the oddeven formula adopted by the Government is not feasible in a small city like Nagpur where everything is available in a single market place. Markets and shops need to open for the public on all days. This will lower the number of customers and overcrowding at a shop.
