Jamshedpur: Trade bodies in Jamshedpur have taken steps to encourage consumers to shop at retail stores during the Durga Puja and Diwali festive season, in an effort to combat the rising trend of online shopping . The Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has initiated the “Chalo Chale Bazar” campaign to appeal to buyers, including traders’ families, to purchase goods from local shops. SCCI plans to set up selfie points across market areas, allowing families to take selfies and share them on social media.
Posters will be displayed in residential areas to ensure the message reaches a wide audience. Anil Modi, president of Thok Vastra Vikreta Sangh (TVVS), said, “About 25% of retail sale of ready-made clothes has come down due to online shopping over the past three years.” TVVS, in collaboration with SCCI, has taken the initiative to encourage buyers by sending audio and video clips on mobile phones.
Suresh Sonthalia, national joint general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), said they raised the issue of heavy discount offers by e-commerce firms with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to ensure a level playing field for retailers. In Jamshedpur, they are reaching out to prominent corporate personalities, ministers, MPs, MLAs, and bureaucrats, requesting them to visit the markets with their families and friends for shopping. “When people see top personalities like Tata Steel MD T V Narendran, former CM Arjun Munda, DC and S.