It is that time of the year when Chennai gets soaked.
The northeast monsoon has arrived, and so have the umbrellas, raincoats and mufflers. As the city prepares itself for a wetthree months, an entire seasonal industry removes the dust sheets and emerges to cash in on the demand.
“The monsoon has begun, and we hope the sales pick up,” says Abdul Jalal of Theni, who has been running a pavement store selling rain gear for 15 years in Rattan Bazaar.
Umbrellas are sold at varying prices, starting at Rs. 60. “They are made in China. It will last a fortnight if you are lucky,” he says.
Branded umbrellas of good quality that last longer cost Rs. 100 or more, while raincoats are priced upwards of Rs. 250. He sells more than 50 umbrellas and about 25 raincoats on a good day.
Kamala Kannan, a resident of T. Nagar, has been buying new umbrellas ahead of the monsoon for the past 20 years. “I buy a new Stag Mark umbrella every year. Old ones are repaired and given to people who help at home, ” she says.
P. Sekaran runs a shop selling footwear on Anna Salai. “There was a time when sandals specially made for the rainy season would flood the market. But now, new models made from plastic EVA material are available throughout the year,” he says.
Hawkers also sell boxes and pouches to protect wallets and mobile phones from water. “I bought a box, for Rs. 80, to carry my phone and money. Even if it falls in water, the box floats and keeps everything safe,” says R. Gopal of Nemilichery.
During the monsoon, stores stock raincoats in the price range of Rs. 500-Rs. 2,500.
A salesman at the Anna Nagar Witco outlet says people, being increasingly fashion-conscious, no longer prefer conventional raincoats. The outlet now sells H2O, a very popular model of the ‘Reliable’ brand of raincoats, which is easy to pack and carry.
“I bought new raincoats for my daughters to wear to school,” says Chitra Devi, a resident of Tiruvallur.
(Additional reporting by Deepa H. Ramakrishnan and Asha Sridhar)
