Aadi keeps retailer cash boxes ringing

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What started as a period to dispose of old textile stocks, the Aadi sale now has become one of the top sales season for all other businesses, be it consumer durables, white goods, gold jewellery or even mobile phones.

The otherwise slackish and inauspicious season has turned out to be money-spinner for most retailers who see a neat 40 per cent jump in their monthly sales during this month.

“Aadi discount sales was initially started by Tirunelveli textile majors such as Pothy’s and RMKV to kick up sales during the inauspicious month that sees no wedding buys,” says Mr H. Vasanthakumar, owner of consumer retail chain Vasanth & Co. “However, when its popularity grew, it was a simple business strategy for us to cash in on customers’ mood to spend,” he adds.

The retailer claims a 30 per cent jump in its sales during Aadi sale through mega discounts offers. So much so, the firm has even included furniture into the list this year. Aadi is a much safer period than Deepavali, says Mr D. Sathish Babu, MD of Univercell Mobiles.

“Festivals like Deepavali, Pongal or even New year are spread only for a week. But the month-long Aadi season (starting from July 16 to August 16) gives a wider spread with no sales spillover,” he says.

Believed to be an inauspicious month for weddings and property purchases, there are no big investments during this time that lets customers to splurge on other things, says Mr Babu who is confident of a 40-50 per cent jump in mobile sales during the period.

Though no wedding buys happen during the Aadi season, jewellery retailers too are upbeat for a different reason. “Though the mad rush to buy clothes drives most of our customers, what is heartening is that lot of NRI customers come down during the season,” says Mr N. Anantha Padmanabhan, MD of NAC Jewellers.