The Aadi discount sale has just begun, and traders are already finding promising indications for fruitful transactions.
Movement of shoppers at a snail’s pace along NSB Road is considered one of the strong indicators for the spurt in business during Aadi season, which has always been associated with discount sale. At present, the shoppers are not exactly jostling for space, but there are signs for the Aadi transactions to end on a positive note this season as well, according to traders. The main reason for their confidence is the inclination of a chunk of customers to make Diwali purchases beforehand.
Leading textile showrooms are in the thick of a publicity campaign through pamphlets and media advertisements, promising discount benefit after absorbing the GST rates themselves. A textile showroom in Thuraiyur town has already started attracting crowds by offering garments for rates that prevailed four decades ago.
Traders say they could notice that the customer footfall has not diminished because of GST. Their faith in the genuineness of the discount is intact, according to Anand Jain, Proprietor of Colour Plus.
The discount sale makes sense to the traders to put business on a sound footing for the month-long duration with no festival or ‘muhurtham’. Indications are that customers are not that conscious about the Goods and Service Tax. Nevertheless, discounts are offered only on the pre-GST rates, Mr. Anand said.
The case is different with traders in electronics goods. They are apparently struggling to convince customers that the GST has not made much difference in their prices. “There has been an increase in the cost of products by a few hundred rupees. But the apprehension of the buyers is that the cost difference is much higher. The discount season has just started, and there is enough time to convince customers that the gain accruing to them from the concessional sale will not be affected in any case,” Vijay, Manager of Sathya Agencies, said.
