Traders at Numaish Exhibition Face Heavy Losses
Hundreds of traders at the ongoing Numaish exhibition in Hyderabad are disappointed due to poor sales. Many cloth merchants from North India, including those from Lucknow, Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Delhi, have reported major financial losses. Several stall owners stated that their earnings this year are less than 40% of their usual revenue. They have urged the exhibition society to either extend the event or reduce stall rental fees.
Despite the large number of visitors at Numaish, traders say that people are not making purchases. Many stall owners can be seen waiting for customers, as shoppers are showing little interest in buying products. The number of visitors remains similar to previous years, but sales have dropped significantly.
With only a week left for the exhibition to end, traders are struggling to sell their stock. “If this trend continues, we will suffer huge losses and may have to return home with our unsold stock,” said Kishore, the owner of a Rajasthani fabric stall. Many traders are concerned that their earnings will not be enough to cover their expenses.
According to traders, the stall rents at Numaish range from ₹50,000 to ₹20 lakh, depending on the size and location. Over the past few days, several traders have been protesting in front of the exhibition society’s office, asking for an extension of the fair or a reduction in rental fees. “The society keeps increasing stall rents every year, but this has left us with no business this time,” said Vijay, a trader.
In addition to rent, traders also have to pay salaries to their workers and cover expenses like food and accommodation. “We are not even making a profit. We have been struggling for the past month due to expenses like travel, transportation, and stall charges,” said Ashfaq Ansari, a trader from Uttar Pradesh who sells Lucknowi dresses.
Traders also mentioned that the rising stall rents include costs for insurance and power connections. “Due to the increase in rent, we had to raise prices on our products, but customers are not willing to spend more,” said one trader who did not wish to be named.
Zubair Ahmed Khan, a Kashmiri stall owner, shared his experience of selling Kashmiri dresses at Numaish for the past 20 years. In previous years, he used to restock his products two or three times during the exhibition. However, this year, he brought stock only once, and even that remains unsold.
The exhibition society has received the traders’ requests but has not yet made an official decision on extending the fair.
