)
Retailers, airlines, consumer durables and companies are pulling out all stops to woo customers this Independence Day weekend.
For companies, it could be a desperate attempt to boost their sales during the slowdown, but for shoppers, it could be a bonanza time as retailers such as Mahindra Retail’s Mom & Me are holding an I-day sale within days after they ended their ‘end-of-season-sale’ on August 4.
Mom & Me is holding a promotional offer ‘Celebrating 1947’ between August 9-18, wherein it gives vouchers of Rs 300 on the purchase of Rs 1,947 worth of kids and women’s apparel. Besides, it is also giving upto 70 per cent off on maternity-wear, a flat 50 per cent off on kids’ furnishing and upto 50 per cent off on kids’ apparel.
Some like Neptune Magnet Mall in Mumbai’s Bhandup area have come out with a ‘4 days Mega Independence Day Sale’, wherein all stores in the malls give 67 per cent off from August 15 to 18. It included movie tickets at Rs 67, special combos at Rs 67 and so on.
The UK’s department Debenhams has come out with ‘buy one get one free’ I-Day offer between August 15-18, which is the last two days of its end-of-season sale.
While department stores and apparel retailers such as Central, Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle have ended or are on the verge of ending their ‘end-of-season-sale’, hypermarket chains such as Big Bazaar have started their ‘6-day Mahabachat day’ since Eid on last Friday, which would end of August 15.
Even cash and carry players such as Metro have joined the I-day promotion game with “Independence Mega Sale.”
Like retailers, airlines have dropped fares in a limited period offer to boost sales. The sale offers around Independence Day are meant to push up forward bookings ahead of the travel season in winter.
While British Airways is offering 15 per cent off on first class and business seats to London and North America in a four day sale beginning Thursday, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is giving a 66 per cent discount on basic fare on economy and business class seats to Europe. The KLM sale is open on Thursday and Friday and for destinations in Europe including Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, London. The KLM sale is for travel during October-December.
Among domestic airlines, SpiceJet has announced a hundred percent discount on base fares for defence personnel. SpiceJet's offer begins on Thursday and the booking of tickets under this scheme would remain open till August 31. Tickets booked under this special offer would be valid for travel from August 15 to September 30.
Nasrulla Tejani, Director of Equino Fun Holidays, said airlines’ domestic and international bookings were 10 per cent lower this year year compared to 2012. “Airlines are offering discounts to woo travellers. From October onwards till March is a good season for inbound travel in India and Southeast Asia. This is also a period when hotel rates would go up. Non-resident Indians would also come to India on holidays. The number of Indians travelling to the US and Europe during the winter months is lesser and hence sales are also lower.”
Consumer durable companies such as LG have come out with offers which talk about interest free equated monthly instalments, no processing fee and no down payment. It is offering Blue ray players with smart TVs and a 10 year warranty on refrigerators and washing machines.
Panasonic is holding a special I-day offer where customers could pay Rs 1,947 to buy a washing machine and pay the rest in interest-free equated monthly installments (EMIs).
Tata’s durable chain Croma is offering specific I-day weekend offers besides running a month-long promotion called “Croma Independence day Sale’.
Computer maker Acer is offering a free two year extended warrantee, low EMIs and exchange offer for its laptops as part of an I-day offer.
