Published in The New Indian Express, Coimbatore edition
Weekend supplement dated February 10, 2007
By Francis P Barclay
You might have already opened your heart to your love and shown that you have a special room for him/her there inside. Yet, it will make a difference if you say how precious he/she is for you on the Valentine's Day. And the
best way to make your sweet heart feel happy is, no doubt, present him or her with a greeting card.
New arrivals at the greeting card stores in Coimbatore are awaiting to make the day special. They include glittering cards that can sing and glitter with embedded `disco' lights in multiple colours and huge pop-up cards that even size 16 inches.
Murali, sales manager at a wholesale and retail greeting card shop in Raja Street, says ``We brought 250 packs (each pack has 10 cards) for Valentine's Day and sold about 200 packs so far. We have to place order for another 150 packs.''
Admitting that there is a minor slack in business as many are contended with sending an sms or e-card, Murali says most people prefer greeting cards, for they can be preserved for remembrance. Seasonal sales would pick
up from this weekend, although wholesale purchases started about 10 days ago, he adds.
``Last year, party activists staged protests in front of greeting card shops, saying that we should not sell Valentine's Day greeting cards. They burnt a bunch of cards in front of our shop,'' he recalls.
``Fearing such protests, we have ordered less cards,'' he adds.
Among the lot who present greeting cards many are school children.
Gift shops also record good sales during this period. Bouquets made of specially-designed artificial flowers are a big hit. Besides, there are ceramic and plastic gift articles that college students prefer to present.
Saying that sales are not encouraging when compared to Christmas and Deepavali seasons, a sales person in a gift shop in Big Bazaar Street says good business might be recorded in the first three days of next week.
