THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The demonetisation of high currency notes has appeared to have had an effect on the Christmas sales which is yet to pick up in the city.
Unlike the previous years, the shopping areas where many frequented for their Christmas trees, cribs and decorative materials have not witnessed a buzz that is usually reminiscent of the festive season. “Normally, the sale of such materials would have peaked from the first week of December. However, with Christmas less than a week away, we have not witnessed any rush so far. Moreover, many seem to have cut down on the lavish spending that was common during the previous festive seasons,” says Sasi Kumar, a trader at the Saphalyam complex in Palayam.
Usually, besides the fancy stores at Saphalyam, those at the Kedaram shopping complex in Kesavadasapuram are the go-to places for numerous people to purchase decorative items. However, they have not seen brisk sales as of yet. Small-scale traders fear that they have lost much of their business to the major commercial establishments.
“There are many traders who were yet to install the swiping machines (Point-of-Sale terminals) at their shops. There have been numerous customers who did not have sufficient currency and promised to complete their purchases after withdrawing cash from ATMs nearby. However, many did not turn up again as the ATMs remained dry for long periods,” says a dejected Sasi, who invested a large amount in anticipation of a profitable season.
Some traders held the view that while the cash crunch has been overcome to a large extent, it has “shocked” many to an extent that they were unwilling to cough up the money owing to fear of yet another crisis. The situation has also led to youngsters purchasing much fewer greeting cards than they have previously.
While their “peak season” was yet to get underway, bakers in the city anticipate a similar scenario. “A large portion of our Christmas-related sales usually take place from December 20 onwards. However, we have not received as many advance orders as we used to by around this time. By the look of things, we expect less-than-normal sales this time around,” says Anil, who runs a prominent bakery near the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. (EOM/SBG)
