KOCHI: With a majority of shoppers snubbing big stores and opting for cheaper options, Onam melas and street shopping have been a hit this festive season. Market places and shopping malls overflowed with Kochiites who were seen making the most of the final day of Onam melas.The shops and stalls along Broadway,Market Road and Darbar Hall road were swept over by huge waves of customers, busying themselves with last-minute purchases, more so because of the welcome relief from the rain. Clothes, along with ingredients for Onam delicacies topped the list of most-sold items. “The final two days of Onam are the ones we most look forward to, because on those days the turn-out is simply great,” noted Shamsuddin Riaz, who owns a textile stall in Menaka. Many customers attest that the high prices quoted at the supermarkets was the reason why they were turning to street-side stalls. Sharada Murali, who was shopping in a crowded textile stall in Ernakulathappan ground, remarked,“Shopping in the Onam melas is quite similar to malls. You get everything under one roof. Moreover,they are okay if you bargain here.”Mohammed Sheikh, a street-vendor in Market road quips, “Such massive crowds on the street makes you wonder whether all of Kochi is out shopping. It is anyway a blessing for us vendors and shopkeepers.”
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