David's AW News: Inside the Infamous Pahar Ganj!

Greetings from Goa, India

Yesterday we escaped Delhi's honking and traffic..

India is a country of contrasts, and now we are in calm and peaceful North Goa. Where the only sound - as I write this - is of bird song.

Peaceful Goa

Years ago we bought an apartment here to escape to. It's being renovated at the moment so we are staying in the hotel next door. 

Last week we were in Greater Noida at the big trade show. I was telling you many of the suppliers we met were not actually exhibiting except from hotel rooms nearby. So we spent a lot of time in small hotels crammed in bedrooms full of samples. If you missed it you can catch up here.

After the trade show we headed to Central Delhi. We need to check on some shipments that are about to be dispatched and seek out possible new suppliers.. 

There are many trading areas in Delhi.. but none so crazy as the infamous.. Pahar Ganj!

All the travel YouTubers are rocking up here these days. It's a reliable chaotic place, with beggars and hawkers, and drugs and oxen carts. A never ending maze of alleyways dissected by the Main Bizarr the main street of the Parar Ganj that leads from the central train station into the heart of this trading area. You can see the old British Imperial Cinema in ruins at the heart of it all. 

You love it or hate it.. but end up doing both. Newby tourists come to see clutching their bags close to the chest, scared of being robbed. But in the years I have been here despite the crazinessm, the beggars and the hawkers, I have never witnessed anyone being robbed and personally feel relaxed and safe. These guys might cheat and scam you but would never outright mug you. 

I have never been here at night, after dark.. I can imagine it could be full on. There are lots of dodgy bars and clubs in the shadows and we were handed fliers offering drinking deals. Not the type of deals we are looking for.. The youtubers I have watched here are pretty naive, they have little understanding about what actually goes on.

Lot's of backpackers and casual traders do small business deals along the Main Bizar - those guys are actually organised, they can link you up with shipping companies and you can get cheap shirts and hippy clothes, jewellery and exotic items back to your store in your country. But be warned. They don't care (or don't know) about proper labeling, nickel free metals, certificates etc etc. Your goods can easily get stuck in customs. Most of the traders are one time dealers, moving on to the next new-comer.. we learned our lesson years ago. Don't even think about shipping container quantities with those guys.. we spoke to one guy who lost €50,000 like that.

But turn a corner, pass through a security railing, and find clean relatively quiet streets, see the nice cars parked and organised spacious showrooms. The professionals who understand the modern export trade and have their own factories and good contacts across India. Here is where good business is done. See I tell you all the trade secrets.. These are usually small family businesses where the second and third generations - younger switched on people have become specialists in their particular products. Big business, one guy ships container loads of paros to Ibiza Spain every month. Another claims to have a contract with Zara. Yes, Delhi people are prone to exaggeration but I wanted to spend some time here and develop some new trading relations.

But after a few days of this and the noise and hassle just getting there and back from our South Delhi hotel. Enough is enough. Tomas, Mr Chatterjee and I took an Air India flight from Delhi to Goa. We arrived last night.. This morning catching up with friends here.. when disaster struck.

Massive Storm in Kolkata: Cyclone Dana

Operations at Kolkata's Chandra Bose International Airport (I was there two weeks ago) were suspended from 6 PM on Thursday to very high winds and heavy rain. Mr Chatterjee is on the phone like all the time, organising things.. The factory is closed and everything locked down. Let's hope this thing passes without casualty.  

Meanwhile back in our warehouse.. a huge wave of NEW Indian products have been arriving.

The team have so much they have been actually struggling to get them all online. But wonderful new Incense ranges including exclusively for AW a beautiful artfully packaged range of Buddha incense I'm particularly excited about.

I can't believe it's already the end of October, and this weekend the clocks went back.. Halloween is practically here!

It's all go go go.. check out the very special deals we have for you including FREE Halloween bath bombs if you move quickly.

OK I have to go.. There is a Gemstone Guy down from Gujarat with his samples waiting for me in his hotel room almost next door.

Have a lovely spooky and fun week.

Namaste from India,

David