Crawford Market in South Mumbai

Crawford Market In Mumbai
Crawford Market in Mumbai

Crawford Market is in South Mumbai, and it is one of the most iconic wholesale markets in Mumbai. It is famous for its different variety of products like fruits, vegetables, spices , dry fruits, meat , poultry, and seafood. Apart from food items this market offers you with toys, pets, exotic animals, household items and many consumer goods.

But entering Crawford market without preparation is like going unarmed in a war with good intentions. So don’t forget to carry the list of items you want to buy or you will land up buying the carry bags which you don’t even remember buying and negotiating for the products you don’t even need and wondering how you agreed to purchase a crate of mangoes when you came to buy a single watermelon.

Crawford market will surprise you by showing the price of the same product from Rs 5 to Rs 50 depending upon how confident you pretend to know the price of the product, what brand of clothes you are wearing , how foreign you look and on the luck of your astrological stars. This market vendors have supernatural powers to understand your taste in products like you can be dressed like local Mumbaikar speaking fluent Marathi, but you took pause to look at a product , hundred vendors will be line asking you to buy that product and saying this to every customer.” I am offering a best price of the product, and this price is only for you, my friend.” So, it is the only place in Mumbai where you will enter looking for tomatoes and take the exit by taking pets and feeding those tomatoes to them at home.

This market is open throughout the week though timings may differ for different sections offering assorted products and it is closed on Sundays. It is the hub for many retailers across the city. Many retailers purchase from here to sell at better prices in their area. The best timing for retailers is 5am to 10am to avoid heavy crowds and choose the best of products.

This market is more like a shouting Amazon selling all products to capture markets unique character and significance in the urban world of Mumbai. This means regular customers can also buy but only you need in massive quantities than normal shopping list. They usually trade in cash and negotiations are always expected here.

This market is the heartbeat of Mumbai with no hi-fi shopping mall but with the vendors who have been in this business for generations and that is the reason that you should know various tips before visiting the market.

  • Go with someone who knows the market
  • Carry small denomination cash
  • Dress practically and avoid valuable jewellery
  • Visit after 10 AM to avoid peak wholesale rush
  • Be prepared to walk a lot and carry heavy bags
  • Learn basic Hindi/Marathi numbers for price negotiations

First time visitors will always feel lost and stressed in this market with  heavy traffic and cleanliness standards. The layout of this market is confusing, and it takes hours to find a specific product. Getting a parking here is like a feeling of last wish fulfilled by God. You will find limited convenience like minimal restrooms facilities and no air-conditioning. Be prepared to carry cash if you do not wish to spend your entire day standing in the queue of single ATM available near Market.

Let me share some fascinating facts which lot of people are not aware of about the Crawford market . This market has seen lot of clashes between Animal rights activists and local vendors because beyond the visible birds and animals there is hidden trading of rare replies to unusual mammals. Even some vendors have been known to smuggle endangered species.

This market generates tons of organic waste daily like vegetable peels and discarded produce which feed a network of cattle owners, biogas entrepreneurs and decompose dealers. It has been heard that these vendors make lot of money through waste than selling their primary products. This market works on seasonal products as well like Fruit sellers of Mangoes disappear immediately after May with lot of earnings in 3 months only.

There is also the Night shift Mystery which says that when the market officially closes, a parallel economy emerges of Night cleaners, security guards, and maintenance crews who have created their own mini market system selling leftover goods and operating small-scale businesses within the empty market halls.

This place does not even sell products but cultivates stories , where relationship matters more than efficiency and simple act of buying something shows the masterclass of human negotiation. This market adopts all challenges and continues to be the same for generations. Crawford Market offers something irreplaceable – the reminder that commerce, at its core, is about people serving people, one conversation at a time.