Product saturation tends to drive prices down, so why are small retail districts still going strong all over the city?

“This is the center of the community,” says Sudesh Tarbinder amid the vibrant saris and tunics imported from India and Pakistan. She opened Nandini Fashion in Jackson Heights, Queens, with her husband Kumar less than two months ago. Located a 30-minute subway ride from midtown Manhattan, the surrounding shops sell similar imported pieces, as well as hijabs, scarves and a dizzying array of wedding ensembles encrusted with intricate beadwork.

The density of stores in the area draws shoppers from New York City’s five boroughs and suburbs – even tourists. “And the competition is good,” Tarbinder adds. Her husband seems less enthusiastic. “There’s competition,” he says, barely taking his eyes off the iPad playing a classic Bollywood movie as he eats lunch. “But you have to do it.”

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Source: The Guardian Circular Economy RSS