Feverish buying on Onam eve

Shops, roadside vendors, auto drivers have a field day.

August 28, 2015 12:00 am | Updated March 29, 2016 06:01 pm IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

Shopping reached a feverish pitch on Thursday as thousands thronged the commercial hubs in the city to make last-minute purchases and giving finishing touches to their preparations for Thiruvonam on Friday.

The main arterial roads, where major textile showrooms are situated, witnessed heavy rush from the morning. The main markets at Chala, Palayam and the outlets of the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation too were teeming with buyers of vegetables and groceries. Vegetable shops at other parts of the city, including organic outlets, too made brisk business.

“This year we postponed shopping to the last minute due to financial constraints. We thought the rush would be less on Uthradom day, but the textile shop was crowded. The cost of children’s clothes has increased when compared to last year,” said Harani, a home-maker from Peroorkada, who had come to a shopping complex near Overbridge with her family. She said though the family could finish shopping within half an hour it took almost the same time to find a space to park the vehicle.

It was not just big commercial establishments that garnered profits from the Onam shopping spree. Vendors who lined up the streets, particularly at East Fort, did good business. Murugan, who had set up a wayside shop at East Fort, was happy with the earnings.

“The maximum sales were on weekends. We expect the crowd to swell on Thursday evening,” he added.

Autorickshaw drivers too had a field day as several families avoided taking their own vehicle because of parking constraints. Shaji, a driver operating from Maruthamkuzhi, said he had been making frequent trips to Overbridge and East Fort over the last few days. “I had been making at least five to six trips to East Fort alone. There were extra earnings, but the prices of goods have gone up too,” he said.

Besides finding time for shopping, denizens of the city thronged movie halls and the zoo as was evident from the line-up of vehicles in these places. The police had a tough time regulating vehicle movement.

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