No cash, residents choose e-payment, online shopping for Christmas

Lack of cash due to demonetisation has forced residents to go for online shopping and e-payments for Christmas, which is synonymous with gifts and cakes.

Lack of cash due to demonetisation has forced residents to go for online shopping and e-payments for Christmas, which is synonymous with gifts and cakes.

Christmas is the first major festival after demonetisation came into effect on November 8. As people grapple with cash crunch, many bakery shops have installed swipe machines and e-wallets to attract customers. (Sakib Ali/HT)

Christmas is the first major festival after demonetisation came into effect on November 8. As people grapple with cash crunch, many bakery shops have installed swipe machines and e-wallets to attract customers.

“I got a swipe machine as I didn’t want to incur losses on the eve of Christmas, which is the most profitable time of the year for us. Customers are making purchases through plastic money,” said Rita Singh from ‘Breadz’ in Vasihali.

Some bakery owners said residents are purchasing costlier cakes in order to avoid the trouble of getting small change.

“There are many varieties and sizes of plum cakes at our shop. Though the prices start from Rs 250, people are preferring to buy bigger cakes, which cost around Rs 1,000 so that they can get change for their Rs 2,000 note,” said Manish Verma from ‘Frequent Bakes’ in Vasundhara.

Discounts and schemes at e-shopping websites have managed to attract customers who are purchasing gifts for their loved ones.

At churches, priests said decorations have been done with last year’s fittings due to lack of cash.

“We only bought a new Christmas star, which will be put up at the top of the church. Other than that, we have used the last year’s decorations as we needed cash to pay the workers at the church and give them bonus as well,” said Brother Julius from the Assembly of Believer’s Church, Vaishali.