With Christmas around the corner, the sale of festival-related products has shot up in city markets. Shoppers have begun visiting shops in Town Hall, Cross Cut Road and Gandhipuram that sell decorative items and other essentials.
“Stars as usual are the most sought after item and they have come from Chennai and Kerala. Stars made of plastic and transparent materials are popular this season,” said R Kanagaraj, a vendor at Cross Cut Road.
The price of stars begins from `10 per piece and goes up to `300.
Though pentagram-shaped stars are the most popular, multi-pointed stars with additional art work, pictures of the Holy Family and TV cartoon characters also have a good market.
According to Devadas, a retail merchant from Puliakulam, Christmas celebration has become a universal practice and people from all religions buy stars to celebrate the occasion.
“Most buyers come with children and purchase stars, crib sets and balloons for them,” Devadas said.
Durable crib sets made of plastic and priced at `400 and above have replaced the older clay or plaster of Paris ones. The fancy ceramic ones cost above `1,000 per set.
Devadas said that readymade cribs made out of waste wood and bamboo were also selling well.
Artificial Christmas trees of various sizes are popular because these days most people do not have a real tree to decorate at home.
According to retailers in Town Hall, LED serial lights are quite popular as they are reasonably priced and can brighten up the festival. Serial bulbs ranging from `120 to 350 are being sold to decorate Christmas trees and houses.
Christmas and New Year greeting cards do not have many takers unlike in the past which retailers attribute to technological advancement, especially the growing use of smartphones.