THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Personalised heart-shaped photo frames, magic mirrors (mirrors comprising a lit photo frame), heart-handled mugs and Valentine bottles (love notes in miniature bottles) are some of the new items procured by gift shops in the city to woo customers on Valentine’s Day. 3D crystals with engraved photos (Rs 850) and rotating cubes in which six photo frames can be added are some of the unique items on sale at Red Moments, a gift shop located in Kesavadasapuram.
Most of the gift shop owners are expecting profitable returns once the Valentine’s Day sale is over. According to Roshan Ignatious, a salesperson at Red Moments, there has been a rising demand among the public for personalised gifts. “Custom-made heart shaped photo frames are something that most youngsters prefer. Personalised photos which are printed on wood are also popular because of its durability,” he said.
Last year, the shop had managed to get around Rs 25,000 from the sale of Valentine goodies alone. The Archies outlet located at Keston near Nanthancode was another shopwhich saw a good crowd on Wednesday. Magic mirror (Rs 999), Valentine’s bottle (Rs 899) and wishing bottle (Rs 69) which has a small paper roll containing a message are some of the interesting products available at the gift shop. “A scrap album has separate frame designs on each page, a heart-shaped notebook with a lock and heart-shaped boxes are some of the new designs that have arrived this time. Like previous years, there is also a demand for cards among the people of all age groups,” said Rajkumar P R, owner of the store.
Despite the arrival of innovative gifts, several prefer returning to the olden times and opting for cakes. Home chefs in the city are introducing new recipes to cash in on this trend. Heart-shaped chocolate lava cake and a cylindrical cake designed in the shape of a flower vase are a few made by home chef Priya Kolassery to add a new flavour to the occasion. “Most people buy hand cakes which are smaller in size. Twenty-five orders have already come from youngsters,” she said. As per Priya, there is a growing demand for fancy items compared to last year. The orders can be made on the Facebook page ‘Kolamass’.