Stylish collections await Co-Optex customers this Deepavali, says minister Gandhi

CHENNAI: Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R Gandhi on Tuesday launched the Deepavali special 30 per cent discount sale in Co-Optex stores and unveiled the newly designed sarees.

Talking to reporters at Egmore Co-Optex store, Gandhi said dress materials specially designed for youngsters have been released for Deepavali by Co-Optex. “The stores will have ready-to-wear kurtis, crop tops, shorts, jackets and skirts designed by people who were trained at the National Institute of Design, keeping in mind the taste of the young generation girls,” the minister said.

"Seven hundred new designs of Kancheepuram, Arani, Thiruvananthapuram, Salem and Coimbatore silk sarees, cotton sarees are also available at the stores. Lungis, mattress, blankets, various types of ready-made men's shirts, dhoti, shawls, salwars, home use varieties, export varieties and a new range of bamboo fibre products are also available this festive season," he added.

Gandhi said to promote valued customers a privilege card is being introduced. "One point will be awarded for every cloth worth Rs 100 (worth Re 1) purchased by the customers. Points accumulated can be redeemed with the next purchase," Gandhi said.

Co-Optex has set a target of Rs 100 crore in sales for this Deepavali, up from Rs 76 crore last year. So far, the Co-Optex stores have sold materials worth Rs 1.1 crore worth of dress materials through e-commerce, which is 0.75 per cent more than last year, the minister said.

The Minister further informed that the Handlooms and Textiles Department has planned to distribute 1.77 crore free dhotis and sarees to all eligible ration card holders for the Pongal festival.