A group of youths in the city have taken up a festival-based vocation to earn some profit. With Navarathiri festival round the corner, they have set up the makeshift stalls at various thoroughfares in the city to sell fruits like apple, orange and grapes. They source fruits from Bangalore by truck and complete their sale in the same day.
“We select places where trees are available, as we have to ensure freshness of fruits,” says R. Avinash, who has set up his stall on the Dindigul Road. We fix the sale price in such a manner that the prices are relatives cheaper than the market rate. Bring a seasonal business, we don’t spend on building rent, he added.
The price per kg is about Rs. 10 less than the rates at the fruit market, he says, and preferred by the customers. Many of us had been in the business for more than four years and we know the taste of the people. The youths are confident of marketing their fruits by giving a sample piece of fruits even before making a bargain. “We have to adopt a few business principles to attract a customer; once they purchase fruits, they turn to be regular visitor,” Mr. Avinash said.
They ensure that they don’t hinder vehicular movement. “We identity our spot so that the vehicle riders have space for parking their two-wheeler or cars,” he said.
