Diwali shopping in full swing in Ranchi

RANCHI: With Diwali round the corner, customers are thronging the markets and shopkeepers are luring them with various schemes. New trends are being introduced while the old ones continue.
While the practice of exchanging traditional sweets survives, there is a new competitor in the market, gift packs, which contain sweets, chocolates, mixture and dry fruits.The gift packs have succeeded in cutting down the sales of traditional sweets.
Rajesh Tekriwal, a confectioner, says gift packs are now more in demand. His view is shared by Sourav Agrawal, proprietor of an an event management agency and Sanjay Khandelwal, a trader. They say gift packs now offer a different option to people. Agrawal feels that gift packs are more sophisticated and its contents last longer.
Madan Lal Sharma, another trader, says gift packs have reduced the sales of traditional sweets, but they can never take over them. Traditional sweets have their own charm.
The markets of jewellery, garments, vehicles, idols (of Ganesha and Lakshmi) and diyas are booming.
Makeshift shops and bargain bazaars have come up with similar offers of providing their customers with a free Reliance India Mobile connection or a wrist watch on purchases worth Rs 1,500. While some shops offer just garments in which it exclusively deals, bargain bazaars offer range of items including clothes, jewellery, idols and fancy diyas. Sanjay Akudia says: "We have got an overwhelming response. Though we launched the scheme on October 18, over 3500 customers have been visiting us daily." He says an exclusive range of Ganesha and Lakshmi idols, procured from an importer based in Mumbai, are on sale this time.