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The shopper's dream month
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Though considered rather inauspicious for making beginnings, traders have turned Aadi into the month of super sales.
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AADI, THE fourth month of the Tamil year, usually falls between July 15 and August 15. Aadi pandigai marks the birth of this Tamil month and quite a few festivals are celebrated during this period. Aadi is also seen as the harbinger of major festivals such as Navarathiri and Deepavali.
However, over the past few years, Aadi has gained importance as the discount month. Though considered rather inauspicious for conducting weddings and family functions or purchasing property, traders have turned this into the month of super sales. It's a month when retailers — of clothes, saris, electrical appliances and consumer durables — offer discounts up to 70 per cent.
South Chennai is known to be a sari shoppers' dream destination. From Mylapore to Mambalam, this area's many stores stock cheap to affordable to unimaginably expensive saris in all colours and designs.
"Aadi is the month to clear out all our old stocks and start afresh for the festivals that will follow," says Ramesh, managing partner of Pothys on Usman Road in T. Nagar. Although Pothys was started in Chennai only three years ago, he claims that their store set the trend for Aadi discounts with annual sales in their branches at Tirunelveli and Srivilliputtur.
"It was an instant success when we introduced the `Aadi Kazhivu' concept in Chennai," he says. Pothys is offering discounts from five to 50 per cent till August 17. He explains that the manufacturers offer them discounts at this time, which they pass on to the customers.
But Jairam, manager of Radha Silk Emporium (Rasi), Mylapore says that theirs is not a clearance sale. "Sales-wise, Aadi is a rather quiet month because some people consider it inauspicious." The 103-year-old store has a year-end sale every March to clear the stock. "We started the tradition of the Aadi sale about 20 years ago for the benefit of customers and to boost our sales during a slow month. Many other stores, including appliance retailers have followed us," he says. Their discounts are from five to 50 per cent and the sale is on seven days a week till August 27.
Even co-operative showrooms have got into the act and a sale offering 35 to 55 per cent off on saris is on at Adithya Hall on Nageswara Rao Road in T. Nagar.
S.M. Silks is offering discounts up to 30 per cent on silk saris till the end of Aadi, according to a salesperson.
Rangachari Cloth Store on Luz Church Road, one of the essential stops while shopping for cotton saris, does not hold an Aadi sale but is famous for its annual April sale.
Stores such as Nalli and Kumaran consider themselves above such sales as they have been around for more than 50 years, and so do not hold discount sales at any time of the year, according to store officials.
The word sale seems to have become synonymous with aadi. And as long as one heads to a reliable store, whether one is buying saris or washing machines, this is one month when the customer is the winner.
S.U.
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