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TRADE AND COMMERCE
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PEDLARS
Pedlars go from place to place to dispose of the merchandise in
their possession. The growth of weekly bazars and fairs has limited their activity. Villagers who formerly used to patronize them now show a definite bias for the periodical markets and consequently the number of pedlars has dwindled considerably. Goods are carried by a pedlar either on a bicycle or in a bullock-cart or with the help of domestic animals such as ponies and asses or on his own shoulder, and at times, by State Transport buses or railways. They obtain their stock-in-trade from Jalgaon, Bhusawal and other nearby towns and sell the same in villages, market towns and fairs within their circuit. They are usually known to their customers. Every pedlar carried trade in specific goods and articles. Grocers usually handle groceries and spices; gardeners fruits and vegetables; copper-smiths copper and brass-wares; gold-smiths cheap ornaments; betel-leaf vendors betel-leaves; and oilmen oil. The other commodities sold are sweetmeats, tea, ice-cream, bread and biscuits; tobacco, bidis and snuff; handloom and ready-made clothes, sarees, dhotis and blouse pieces; utensils of brass, copper and aluminium; blankets, carpets and mats; earthen potteries; clay and wooden toys; kerosene, bangles, agarbatties, etc. Most of the transactions are on cash basis, though barter cannot be regarded as entirely absent.
The business of pedlars in this district is brisk from October to May and dull from June to September.
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