Despite a surge in footfall at shopping malls and discount shops for the festive season, shopkeepers report a decline in sales volume across various stores in Chennai.
R. Janakiraman, a cracker shop owner in Anna Nagar (East), Chennai, told IANS: “The factory price of popular crackers like ‘Kuruvi,’ ‘Chain crackers,’ ‘Knockout,’ and other items has skyrocketed. When we add our profit margin, prices increase substantially, which could be causing the drop in customer numbers.”
According to Janakiraman, the sales volume, which reached Rs 4 to 5 lakh during this period in 2023, has fallen to approximately Rs 3 to 4 lakh this year. He noted that daily sales have decreased by about Rs 1 lakh, with a 15 per cent price increase compared to the previous year.
He attributed the price hike to reduced production of firecrackers.
Karthiyani, a 54-year-old school teacher from Purasawalkam, Chennai, mentioned that prices of essential Deepavali items, including crackers, diyas, sweets, gold, and clothes, have risen by 15 to 20 per cent since 2023.
She noted that the price of gold has increased by at least Rs 2,000 per gram, while diyas are over 25 per cent more expensive than last year.
“Last year, I bought a bag of crackers for Rs 5,000; but this year, I could only get around three-quarters of that amount for the same price,” she said.
Additionally, she noted that the price of cashew sweets in Sowcarpet has jumped from Rs 600 per kg in 2023 to Rs 800 this year.
Many shopkeepers indicated that online sales are also impacting retail sales, despite a heavy turnout on Sunday, the last weekend day before Deepavali.
Suchitra Nair, a homemaker, shared her shopping experience with IANS: “There’s been an increase in prices for all essential Deepavali items, leading to reduced sales. I decided to buy fewer items to manage costs.”
Some shopkeepers are hopeful that sales will pick up today and tomorrow, as many people traveling from Chennai to their hometowns may make last-minute purchases, boosting overall sales.
Representatives from the Ramanathapuram Street Merchants’ Association also observed a dip in sales in recent days. Even on Sunday, business volume was lower than last year, though they are optimistic for an uptick in the coming days.
India hit 8 military bases in Pakistan, including Sialkot station: Centre
India responded strongly to Pakistan’s repeated drone and missile attacks and hit at least eight military targets inside Pakistan on Friday night with precision, thereby causing significant damage, the Centre told the Press, as part of a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor'.
Pak troops moving into forward areas, Indian forces in high state of operational readiness: Govt
India on Saturday said that Pakistan was escalating tensions along the Western border by moving troops into forward areas, suggesting an offensive intent to intensify hostilities.
Pak fired high-speed missile, tried to hit health facilities, schools but was thwarted: Centre slams escalation bid
The Centre, in a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor' on Saturday, called out Pakistan’s brazen attempt to escalate the matter by repeatedly targeting India’s military as well as civilian centres and also slammed the state-sponsored propaganda machinery for spewing canards.
Coded messages in phones of 2 arrested JMB men in Bengal show links with other fundamentalist groups
The West Bengal Police recovered several coded and encrypted messages from the mobile phones of Aazmal Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan, the two Indian associates of Bangladesh-based Islamic fundamentalist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh
Marco Rubio reaches out to real centre of Pakistan power, talks to army chief
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has finally reached out to the real centre of Pakistan's power, Army Chief Asim Munir, after talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to de-escalate tensions with India failed.
Responded in measured fashion to continued Pakistani provocations: India
Addressing the press conference on 'Operation Sindoor', Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, along with Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, briefed the nation about the current situation along the India-Pakistan border.
Multiple enemy-armed drones in Amritsar destroyed: Indian Army
Multiple enemy-armed drones were spotted flying over Khasa Cantonment in Amritsar in Punjab and they were instantly engaged and destroyed by air defence units, the Indian Army said on Saturday.
Indian armed forces destroy Pakistani posts, launch pads; intercept multiple Pakistani drones
In yet another befitting reply to Pakistan's nefarious activities, the Border Security Force (BSF) has completely destroyed a Pakistani post and a terrorist launch pad in Looni, District Sialkot, opposite Akhnoor area, from where the tube drones were being launched to attack India.