India, Nov. 11 -- As a thick blanket of smog engulfs the city and AQI breaches 300 most of the day, festive shoppers are ditching the physical allure for online Bhai Dooj shopping. Does this mean the usually bustling shopping hubs are now deserted? Shopkeepers share how it's affecting their daily business. "Pollution ke chakkar mein almost poori market khali padi hai," says Shalini Dembla, owner of a Rajouri Garden-based accessory store, Fashion Bells. "Last year, Karwa Chauth, Diwali aur Bhai Dooj ke aas paas itna rush rehta tha that we used to be busy attending to customers all day. But now, shoppers are buying online and that is affecting our sales," she adds. This year, the day after Diwali was a Monday, when most markets were closed. Due to the weekly closure, the difference in footfall wasn't immediate, says Vikas Paul, owner of bridal store Nargis in Lajpat Nagar's Central Market. "But keeping past experience in mind, sales do take a hit. Serious buyers, like those who start wedding shopping after Diwali, avoid coming to the market (due to pollution), which reduces our sales." Meanwhile, in Kamla Nagar, visitors have reduced by 30%, informs Shrey Gupta, who owns gifting store Golden Grooves. "We experienced the smog season footfall reduction last year. In anticipation, we switched to online platforms like Instagram DMs and video calls (for orders)... Though people are not coming out to shop as much, we saw a 20% rise in our sales for Diwali and Bhai Dooj this year, thanks to our online mode." However, going digital is not an option for everyone. Sanchit, co-owner of clothing shop Find Stalk Love in Sarojini Nagar market, says, "Lajpat Nagar and Rajouri Garden see shoppers who easily switch to online if pollution or other external issues occur. But that's not the case for us. Sarojini Nagar gets more tourists than locals, especially those seeking discounted prices. So even during the winter pollution phase, such shoppers visit physical stores as they want to touch and feel the fabric, check its fit, and see how it looks on them."...