Compared to previous years, the flow of customers as well as business has grown by over 50 percent with the onset of Tihar this year. Shoppers are out in full strength to buy festival items, leading to a spurt in business of dry fruits, sweets, lamps and other festival items. [break]
Antim Ranjit, marketing and branding manager at Bigmart, City Centre, told Republica that more people are turning up at the store for buying regular festival items like dry fruits, sweets, oil lamps and other decorative products. Bigmart which has already seen its business grow by more than 50 percent prior to the festival expects a 100 percent growth in business during Tihar.
Ranjit said that recent market inspection drive that exposed malicious business entities for selling substandard and adulterated products have led more people to department stores this Tihar season. He added that the flow of festive shoppers has been so encouraging that the store is now planning also to sell flowers for the festive shoppers.
Availability of Tihar products in varied range and style at affordable prices backed by promotional schemes and gifts is pulling in customers for the department stores.
“The reason behind people preferring department stores over conventional shops is that the department stores provide hassle-free purchase of quality products at affordable prices,” Ranjit told Republica.
Like Bigmart, other department stores in the city too have selroti, fini roti, anarasa and sinkamari along with festive decoratives and idols of gods on sale. According to Bsan Karki of Bhat-Bhateni Supermarket, the number of people coming for festive foods like selroti, fini roti and anarasa has gone up significantly in recent days.
Bhat-Bhateni said that the daily sale of sweets during Tihar is between Rs 200,000 and Rs 300,000 compared to Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 during normal times. Karki added that the store sells more than 600 selrotis and fini rotis daily during Tihar.
“Earlier, people were unaware that these items are availabe in department stores. But now people can be seen queuing up to purchase these food items during Tihar,” said Karki. Bhat-Bhateni offers a wide variety of items such as selroti, anarasa, fini roti, sinkamari, sweets, dry fruits and chocolates, costing Rs 60 and above.
“People don´t have much time to prepare everything at home and they have started looking for packaged items,” said Sachet Shakya of Bluebird Mart at Tripureshwor.
Products such as electric and wax lamps cost between Rs 50 and Rs 150 apiece at Bluebird Mart. Likewise, dry fruits packs are coming for Rs 100 to Rs 1,500 per pack.
Related story
Dashain Fervor Crowded Market places V/S Shoppers
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)
