Date:21/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/21/stories/2008072158450400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Something outlandish about this demand

Deepa H. Ramakrishnan

Low-cost Chinese goods are attracting more customers

— Photo: R. Ragu

From toys to electronic goods, China-made products are making inroads into different market segments. A vendor on Ritchie Street sells Chinese toys.

CHENNAI: The ‘use-and-throw’ concept seems to be the key driver of the soaring demand for Chinese goods in the country. In an economy that is grappling with inflation, low-cost Chinese goods are attracting more customers every day.

From mobile phones and accessories, umbrellas, toys, Fengshui crafts, ceramics, artificial antiques, decorative items, cutlery, watches, the list of Chinese items that have flooded the city markets is long. And those who buy these products typically are people not bothered about whether it comes with a warranty or guarantee — all they want is the product working for a reasonable period of time.

“While original batteries recommended for branded mobile phones cost up to Rs.600 each, batteries [from China] for the same models are available for as less as Rs.250. Likewise the cost advantage of opting for a Chinese make mobile phone charger is around Rs.200,” says a salesman at Moon Star, a shop dealing in Chinese cell phone accessories on Ritchie Street. “And these goods also last for quite sometime,” he claims.

“When it comes to finish, there are minute differences between Chinese and Indian products. Only a pair of shrewd eyes could spot the difference between the Chinese Barbie [doll] and the Indian one. A Princess Barbie set of Chinese make costs just Rs.250 whereas the Indian make costs at least double that,” says K.Shafeeq of New Hongkong Store.

Not all Chinese products are of poor quality, says B.Jameel, who purchases and stocks Chinese goods. “It is for the traders to pick and choose the goods. There are traders, who buy broken or damaged goods in a lot and repair whatever is possible and pass them off to customers,” he says.

Vendors in Chennai buy Chinese goods from Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi, where firms import the items from China on a large scale. Air conditioners, knitting machines, electrical components, auto components, antibiotics, tubes and pipes are also imported from China. The Internet has helped to market such goods as the manufactures display the goods on their websites.