Sweet Meat (SM) Street, popularly known in local parlance as ‘Mittai Theruvu’, is bustling with activity, with schools set to reopen on Thursday.
Bags, umbrellas, tiffin boxes, water bottles, pencil boxes, books, and pens are dominating the sales. “Copies of branded products are preferred, as most of my classmates size them up in terms of brands,” said Anandu who advances to Class IX.
The views of parents are like chalk and cheese. While some are reluctant to compromise with quality, others are contented with duplicate products. “Children want branded products, which look good,” said a father of two.
Youngsters are also keen on getting bags with images of their favourite cartoon characters such as Minions, Chota Bheem, and Spider-Man printed on them. ‘Pulimurugan bag’, a spin-off merchandise, are selling like hotcakes.
Similarly, light-weight umbrellas are in good demand as monsoon has set in. The prices of umbrellas range between ₹300 and ₹1,000. “However, most parents prefer quality to locally-made products. Folding umbrellas dominate are in huge demand. Also, there are many takers for rain coats of different hues and shapes. Steel bottles and tiffin boxes are sold in place of plastic boxes,” said a retailer.
Meanwhile, sports product sellers are facing bad times. “Badminton rackets and chessboards are the only products sold now as students are out of the vacation mood. Monsoon and dwindling number of playgrounds also dwindle our sales,” Shabeer, a salesman at a sports goods store, said.
However, traders are in a sombre mood, as the renovation work on SM Street and online shopping have impacted sales. “Shopkeepers agreed to proceed with the renovation work on SM Street on condition that the work would be completed before the onset of Ramzan. But only half the work has been done so far, and, as a result, sales are low,” said Noufal, a trader.
Also, E-commerce is acting as a deterrent to shopkeepers, as customers have a wide range of choices. “ I don’t think there is a need to visit shops to purchase things,” said Sharon, a Class XII student.
