COVID-19 impact: Kolkata’s mithai sales muted this festive season even as cost of preparation goes up

Kolkata’s mithai sales witness muted demand this festive season! As the lockdown restrictions have been eased across the country, many people have still been cautious this festive season. Usually on festive days for Diwali and Bhai Dooj, sweet sales are on a surge but this year people restrained themselves on buying sweets as well. In Kolkata, the sales were 30 per cent less than what they usually have been in the previous years. According to a report by The IE, while the situation was not good earlier, they were improving eventually. However, the sentiments have still remained dampened when compared to pre-COVID times. Citing Sudip Mullick of Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick Sweets, the report highlighted that the sales were dull this year.

People have been taking sweets to greet family and friends at auspicious times like Diwali. The physical meets have been reduced significantly in order to prevent Coronavirus transmission. Since no one is visiting their relatives this year, they are not even purchasing sweets. Infact, as people are working from home, corporate orders have also gone down.

With festive season, the shopkeepers were hoping to get their businesses back on track but they were forced to lower their sweet production. Even during Durga puja, they could do around 50 per cent of their business but now it has come down to 30 per cent only. According to sellers, the cost of preparation has also gone up for rosogulla, sandesh and other varieties of sweets that Kolkata is famous for. But sellers are not able to increase their prices as there is no demand in the state.

Hoping to prevent wastage, the sweet production has been reduced. In the northern area of Kolkata, there aren’t any substantial orders in the last ten days. Small-scale sweet sellers had also pinned their hop