State sees record-breaking Dhanteras sales

Jamshedpur/Ranchi/Bokaro: Cashing on the shopping spree of festive enthusiasts, the state recorded a grand sale of jewellery, electronics, home decor, utensils, lamps and idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh among other such items on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras on Saturday.
In the Steel City, the electronic items market, shops of precious metal items, including gold and silver, witnessed huge sales, said market insiders. “A sum of Rs 600 crore was released by companies as their annual bonus this year. Of this, over Rs 200 crore has come to the market by conservative estimate," said entrepreneur and general secretary of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry Manav Media.
Variety of schemes and offers boosted the sale of electronic items, said shop owners. "Many customers had booked items in advance for Dhanteras. Kitchen appliances, LED TV and refrigerators are most in demand," said Raja Singh, proprietor of a leading electronic shop.
The jewellery stores, which conventionally records bumper sales on Dhanteras and Diwali, reported good sales this year as well.
"Following two consecutive years of the Covid-19 pandemic, small and moderate jewellery stores were eagerly waiting for this Dhanteras. The sales are encouraging and the final picture will emerge on the Diwali day," said Dinesh Chand, proprietor of a reputable jewellery store in the city. Long queues were seen in front of stores of cooking utensils stores also.
"The counter sell of cooking utensils on Dhanteras is huge. We are having a great footfall today," said Arun Gupta, proprietor of a utensil store in Sakchi.
National secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders Suresh Sonthalia said the ongoing Diwali sale is expected to infuse Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the Indian market.
"It is gratifying to know that Indian goods are high in demand this festive season," Sonthalia added.
In the capital, major markets and stores bustled with thousands of customers. Sales at jewellery shops were higher compared that of past two years. Shantanu Chatterjee, customer relations officer of a renowned jewellery store, said: “We are seeing a huge crowd of shoppers. Also, people are shopping today for the upcoming wedding season." Besides jewellery, people also bought gold and silver coins. Nitish Kumar, owner of a jewellery store, said: “People usually look for gold and silver coins on this day as they believe that purchasing coins will increase one's wealth for the year."
Street vendors also experienced a surge in sales. Noor Hussain, a vendor at Upper Bazaar, said: "Though the prices of every item have increased, we have witnessed an increase of 20% in sales this Dhanteras in comparison to the previous years."
In Bokaro also, Dhanteras sales saw the pre-Covid rush as buyers throng markets in Bokaro and Chas sub-divisions. Payment of bonus of Rs 31,000 each to 9,000 employees of Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) on Friday evening added to the glitter in the market ahead of Diwali on Monday. As the City Centre market was teeming with buyers, the district administration had to press additional security cover to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. Jewellery traders said the business of the entire district will cross Rs 7 crore this time.