While jewellery shops that dot Usman Road and Pondy Bazaar are gearing up to make the day a grand one, the men in khakhi are leaving no stone unturned to ensure shoppers’ safety remains top priority.
News Today brings you ground report on what’s hot and what’s not this Akshaya Tritiya and gives an insight as to what’s in store for customers at the jewellery shops in terms of offers and discounts.
Rise & shine
Many jewellery stores opened shutters early morning with additional staff to cater to office-going customers who planned to buy gold before heading to work on the auspicious Akshaya Tritiya day. “Last year, we witnessed many office-goers visiting our shop in the morning. They expressed that they may not be able to come later in the day, as their work would keep them busy. We opened shop very early so that they come and pick what they want to buy at a leisurely pace,” said a supervisor of a famous shop in T Nagar. Shops will be open till midnight.
Offers galore
An upbeat competition is visible in areas like Usman Road where several establishments have displayed attractive electronic signs and ad boards in front of their shops showing discounts and special Akshaya Tritiya packages. Discounts on wastage charges on gold and silver jewellery, offers on diamonds (both cut and uncut), price protection on pre-booking gold jewellery are some of the propositions from jewellers.
A noteworthy mention this year is the increase in the sale of gold coins. Jewellery stores have made arrangements and stocked up gold coins to meet demand. The bigger stores have opened special counters to sell gold coins inside their premises.
“The price of gold is on a downward trend. Astrologers have also predicted support for gold in the Tamil year ‘Vihari’. So we expect better sales compared to previous years. Customers can also book jewels on by paying an advance on Akshaya Tritiya and take delivery later without any increase in the price factor,” said Geetha, a staff of a Jewellery unit in Usman Road. Sudha Ravichandran, a resident of T Nagar commented, “It is good to see these establishments offering discounts to suit the different budgets. I am planning to buy a necklace for my daughter-in-law and will book it at the shop that offers the best discounts.”
Overwatch
Like every year, this season too, the police have made elaborate arrangements to provide safety to shoppers. Both uniformed policemen and officers in ‘mufti’ are doing the rounds on busy T Nagar streets. “We have a number of CCTV cameras in operation at different locations. The movement of each and every person is monitored. If we find any unusual activity or see individuals with suspicious behaviour, our officers will step in immediately to prevent untoward incidents and keep the shoppers safe,” said a senior police official at Usman Road.
To help shoppers, R1 Mambalam Police Station have also been permanently posted at a booth opposite Ranganathan Street from where a team of cops will review public movement and will initiate action as and when necessary, it was informed.
Photos: V M Srinivasan and R Thiyagarajan