What about our livelihood, ask Delhi traders as protests disrupt festive sales

NEW DELHI: On Friday afternoon, Connaught Place once again witnessed thin footfall despite a festive season being underway. While shops remained open, protests and a heavy police presence occupied parts of the market, affecting the movement of shoppers and leaving shopkeepers and vendors worried about business during this otherwise peak season.With the weekend accounting for a major share of sales, many shopkeepers feared prolonged losses would make it difficult to pay rent, staff salaries and other expenses. A representative of Wenger’s, a well-known outlet at CP, said, “Eighty to 90% of our business happens over the weekend. In the current situation, we are not even seeing 10% of our usual customers.”A woman vendor from Gujarat, who visits CP every year to sell traditional Gujarati products, said the situation had dampened her spirits this season. “My family had asked me not to come this time, but I still came.