An exhibition of Kerala State Rubber Cooperative Ltd. (Rubco) — which ended here on Sunday — has proved to be a huge draw.
It was the first full-fledged exhibition organised by the rubber cooperative in the city.
The show that began on December 19 at the Comtrust Grounds, near the Town Hall, had a range of Rubco products from footwear to virgin coconut oil besides furniture. “Our furniture sales order is already nearing Rs.1.5 crore,” R. Madhusoodanan, sales manager of Rubco, said on Tuesday.
The slab-based discount regime, starting with 15 per cent discount for products in the Rs.30,000-Rs.75,000 range, had been attracting a large number of visitors from day one of the exhibition, said S. Aneesh, another sales manager.
Some furniture items such as the swing-bed, bunker-cot, and selected dining tables had become a huge hit among the buyers. “We already have orders for around 10 swing beds,” he said.
The life-long warranty and other services offered by the manufacturers for the rub-wood products seem to have gone down well with the buyers. The fact that there is no exclusive outlet for Rubco products in the city might also have contributed to the sales.
The valuable feedback received from customers would help improve our products, said Mr. Madhusoodanan. Some buyers had left valuable suggestions on newer models of products, which, he said, would be factored in while new sets of furniture were launched.
There was no on-the-spot sale of items at the exhibition venue. Those who wanted to purchase had to book the products, which would be transported to their houses later.
The customers were given three months’ time to collect the products.
