The Hindu MetroPlus Lifestyle Show 2011, the five-day spectacular shopping extravaganza that unfolded at the sprawling Loyola College grounds ended on Monday.
Monday being the last day of the annual consumer fair, people turned up in droves to lap up their choicest stuff with a hope of striking a good bargain.
In the last few hours of the business, some of the stall-holders were seen calling out on the buyers in crisp loud voices in their desperate attempt to do some last-minute trade, while others were busy packing their stuff.
The interesting feature was that a steady row of vehicles continued to zoom in even as some of the stalls inside were partially wound up.
Women and kids focussed mainly on knick-knacks and lighter stuff while serious buyers were on a look out for hi-end products like luxury sofa sets, latest electronic gadgets, kitchen appliances and modular kitchens. Women would invariably stop at the stall displaying multiple models of modular kitchens. The kitchen queens had all the time in the world for a careful look at the elaborate features of the latest mode.
A wide range of ergonomically designed luxury sofas upholstered in the finest combination of leatherite, leather and vinyl was a big attraction for the elite seeking to replace their old furniture at home. Over half-a-dozen big companies carted in attractive sofa sets from different places.
The die-hard traders were the ones who displayed a variety of machines that dished out crispy stuff without use of oil. Even while the crowd started thinning down, the boys kept dishing out papad, fryums, chapatti and a wide range of other stuff in their frenzied demo sessions that continued through the late evenings. Bringing the ‘fried' items virtually below the nose of the visitors, they would insist that they be touched, tasted and relished.
The buyer was spoilt for choice and had to fight out the strong desire to stuff the bag with almost everything available around.
