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Surge in sale of laptops, innerwear after shops reopen in Pune
According to Electronics trading association, 10 to 15 per cent sales of laptops was registered and many shopkeepers said innerwear sale picked by 8 to 10 per cent
Shop owners in the city saw a rise in demand for mobiles and laptops, fans, home apparel and innerwear after they resumed business post 10-day lockdown on Thursday.
According to Electronics trading association, 10 to 15 per cent sales of laptops was registered and many shopkeepers said innerwear sale picked by 8 to 10 per cent.
Parents, teachers and students were seen queuing up outside electronics outlets in areas like Sadashiv peth, Tilak road and Laxmi roads to buy mobile handsets and laptops.
Sujit Dawane, manager, HP Computer Showroom on Tilak road said that post lockdown many parents have turned up to buying laptops for their children’s online education.
“The situation was different during the previous lockdowns when staff working with IT-related firms bought laptops to work from home. During this period, several parents, teachers and academicians are turning up to buy laptops as education has gone online. Most of them are looking at buying laptops between Rs 35,000 and Rs 40,000, a segment which appeals to the middle class,” he said. ‘
Karan Chaturvedi, who had come to the store with his friend said, “My mother is a teacher and has to conduct classes online. Mine is the only laptop at home. I am here to buy a laptop for my mother.”
The shoppers also bought smartphones as most of the schools and colleges have started online classes. Pradeep Umardand and his wife Chaitra who bought a Samsung mobile phone from an outlet in Sadashiv peth said, “Our mobile was not suitable for online education of our child. Hence, we bought a new one.”
According to Vikram Mande, manager of SR Hosiery Shop on Laxmi road, most customers are opting to buy innerwear from city markets as shops in suburbs are shut.
“Maximum customers are male. As cloth takes more time to dry during the monsoon season, there is a rise in demand and we expect more customers in the coming days,” he said.
Sanjay Kumar, a petrol pump attendant who had come to buy innerwear, said that shops near his residence in Bhavani peth are shut as the areas have been declared containment zone. So, he had to visit Laxmi road for purchase.
A huge crowd was seen at cloth stores in Tulshibaug on Saturday.
“The sale of casuals and innerwear has picked up since Friday after the lockdown ended,” said Nitin Pandit, secretary, Tulshibaug market shop owners association.
Kavita Shinde, a resident of Wanowrie, said, “We were locked inside for four months. We had limited stock of home wear for my five-year-old son. With uncertainty about future lockdowns, I bought clothes for my kid in bulk.”
Kailash Changedia, an electronics shop owner from Camp, said, “We have received inquiries from customers who are seeking office furniture for home set up. Demands for computers, laptops, work stations, dishwashers, washing machines, ceiling fans and stationary fans has risen after the lockdown period. Many people are calling up seeking to book an appointment before visiting our store and the footfall has increased.”
“We have ensured that social distancing rules are maintained strictly and business is carried out with care and caution,” he said.
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