Editor’s Note
This report from Hardoi highlights a seasonal resurgence in the local cosmetics market, driven by wedding festivities. It underscores how traditional retail sectors can experience vital boosts from cultural events, even amid broader shifts toward online commerce.
Hardoi. With the start of the wedding season, the charm has returned to the cosmetic market. The surge in the beauty product business, which had been suffering from the impact of the online market, has brought smiles to the faces of traders.
From morning till late evening, heavy crowds of customers are thronging small and large beauty product shops in the city’s markets. Due to the wedding season, not only has shopping by wedding households increased, but there is also heavy demand for cosmetic kits for gifting. These days, there is quite a crowd at cosmetic shops located on Cinema Road, Bada Chowk, and Railwayganj in the city.
The enthusiasm of this increased sales is clearly visible on the faces of the traders.
At the shops, along with cosmetics, the demand for artificial jewelry is the highest. Kundan, choker sets, and Rajwadi jewelry remain the first choice of women for bridal adornment. The price of chains in artificial jewelry ranges from 50 rupees to 150 rupees. Along with this, there is high demand for sets of payal (anklets), rings, bangles, and necklaces. It is said that due to inflation in gold and silver, artificial jewelry has also become expensive now.
In the last few years, e-commerce platforms have significantly affected the business of local beauty product shops. Traders believe that lured by heavy discounts, the younger generation had leaned towards online shopping, which had dimmed the shine of the local market. However, this period of the wedding season has once again breathed life into the traditional market.
