MALAPPURAM: The Gulf Market in Tirur, a popular rendezvous of wholesalers and retailers of foreign made mobile handsets, accessories and gifts items, is gradually getting back on track after a major hiccup due to the demonetisation, which had forced shop owners here to lay off a major chuck of work force to cope up with the declined business. Hundreds had lost their jobs in the market which has nearly 300 shops in it. “This was the hardest time in the history of this market. The total footfalls of customers here declined 70-75 per cent on a daily basis. But we are confident that the business would be back on track by coming months,” says Ibul Wafah K .T, general secretary of Gulf Market Association of Tirur (G MAT).
Most shops employ an average of four to six staffers. The big ones have more than 10 staffers. The steep fall in the business had affected nearly a thousand families who rely on this market. But there are signs of hope here now. “Shop owners have started to reinstate staffers as the business picks up. There is growth in daily and weekly footfalls but it will take some more time to get back the lost pace,” says Faisal Chemmad who runs a mobile accessories shop here for nearly two decades.
“This is an organically grown market with small scale entrepreneurs over the past three decades. No market provides mobiles and other electronic gadgets such a low price as Tirur. This is our unique selling proportion which attracts retailers from Kasargod to Kanyakumari,” says Wafah. Besides fresh products the Tirur market is also popular for the cheap availability second hand mobile phones, high end gadgets and luxurious watches.
