Ahead of the Onam festival that falls on September 8, business at the textile markets has seen improvement as wholesalers and retailers from Kerala have turned up in significant numbers for purchasing in Erode, on August 23.
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More than 3,000 shops selling textile products function at Ashokapuram, near Central Theatre and at the E. K. M. Abdul Gani Textile Market (Gani Market) at Panneerselvam Park in the city. Both wholesale and retail sales are undertaken in these shops that witness brisk sales ahead of festival seasons.
Business at the weekly shops that number more than 700 and function from Monday evening to Tuesday night was good when compared to the past two months. “Both wholesalers and retailers from Thrissur, Kozhikode, Alappuzha and few other cities purchased products in bulk quantities for Onam”, said K. Selvaraj, president, Erode Gani Market Weekly Textile Traders Association. He said that shops realised a sales volume of 30% on Tuesday that is expected to go up sharply till the festival ends.
Traders said that traditional attires worn during the festival were most sought by wholesalers and retailers while attires with modern designs have also arrived at the markets. “Though online shopping sprees have picked up, many prefer buying from shops directly”, said a trader. Traders said that apart from Keralites, college students, office goers, youngsters and the public also purchase the traditional attire. “Since it’s a ten-day festival, many educational institutions and establishments celebrate in a grand manner during which they wear traditional attire”, they added.
Traders are also gearing up for the big season, Deepavali that falls on October 24 as they expect sales to pick up from September.