Woollen garments sale soars as winter chill grips Hyd’bad

Hyderabad: With the winter season setting in, the demand for warm clothes like sweaters, mufflers, caps, jackets, and blankets has increased in the city. The city is dotted with temporary roadside stalls selling winter wear, and people can be seen queuing up at the shop to protect themselves from cool temperatures. As the temperature continues to decrease in the city, the prices tend to rise.

Over the last fortnight, shoppers have focused on buying thermals, sweatshirts, sweaters, sweatpants, and jackets. Socks, woollen caps, and gloves were also picked as the temperatures continued to drop. The roadside temporary stalls that were set up in various areas across the city were bustling. Over two dozen stalls, including a dozen running alongside Chaderghat-Koti, near Victory Playground, near MGBS, and other areas like Chandrayangutta, Mehdipatnam-Tolichowki stretch Secunderabad, Kukatpally, Langar Houz, the traders from the Northeast States, and also the locals, were seen selling the winter wear.

According to the traders, they came here from Northern and Eastern States like Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, Odisha, and some were from Tibet. They offer a variety of warm clothes made from materials sourced from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Nepal.

At Chaderghat, a trader said, “Nepali sweaters are popular here. Families make these at their homes for the whole year and sell them during the winter season.”

Rinzen, a trader from Nepal who set up a stall near the Koti, said that they have a wide range of winter wear, including sweaters, mufflers, jackets, and other winter gear. The prices are fixed according to the size and quality of the product. “While the price of children’s sweaters ranges between Rs 400 and Rs 1,200, adult’s sweaters are sold from Rs 600 to Rs 2,500,” she said.

Muzammil, a resident of Shalibanda, said that the prices have increased compared to the previous years. “Earlier, the price of the jacket was somewhere between Rs 600 and Rs 1,000; this year, these traders are selling the same quality of the jacket at the price of Rs 1,800.”

Another customer at Chaderghat said that the worth of a Nepali sweater was around Rs 600 and Rs 800, but it was being sold at Rs 1,200. "Though they set up the temporary stalls on the roadside without any rent, they are selling the apparel at a higher price,” said Shekhar, a resident of Amberpet.

The market near Chaderghat, MGBS, Koti, is considered the oldest in the city. On the other hand, customers found the clothing at these stalls to be of good quality and the prices affordable. New markets came up at Raidurgam, Rajendranagar, Serinlingampally, Ameerpet, and other places in Secunderabad.

The business generates lakhs of rupees during the three-month period from October to January.