Counter sale in Sivakasi hit as online commerce booms
The consumers too. Many consumers were coaxed into purchasing boxes of assorted crackers through social media websites after they get attracted by fake discounts
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MADURAI: Online sale of crackers has grown exponentially giving tough competition to over the counter sales in Sivakasi, Virudhunagar district and parts of the southern region.
According to V Raja Chandrasekaran, president, Federation of Tamil Nadu Fireworks Traders, the online sale of crackers is illegal and affecting over the counter business by 40 per cent over the last few years. The authorities concerned should step up efforts to stem such illegal sales of fireworks.
Not only were the traders affected, but the consumers too. Many consumers were coaxed into purchasing boxes of assorted crackers through social media websites after they get attracted by fake discounts. Such websites displayed products of branded fireworks, but many buyers were disappointed with the products they received at the end.
The factor is the provision of temporary licences to fireworks retail traders, who could receive such licences only a week prior to the festival. Instead of rushing through the crowd to make a last minute purchase, many consumers were opting to buy crackers online. Hence, the Federation has sought the government to issue temporary licences a month before the festival for selling fireworks. With over a month left for the festival of Deepavali, the sale of crackers is expected to pick up after the Ayudha Pooja festival, he told DT Next on Sunday.
Unlike last year, the market in Sivakasi witnesses a dull sale despite a 20 per cent drop in price this year, said D Prabakar, president, Sivakasi Fireworks Dealers Association, Virudhunagar district. Over ten new varieties are in store for sale, but it seems the market could be determined only during the last 15 days close to the festival this year. The other reason for this sluggish market is the increase in licenses for around 2,500 permanent shops this year against the previous year when only 1,700 shops existed in the district, he said.
Only about 30 per cent of the total sale has been achieved so far, P Rajendran, retail trader in Sivakasi said. It’s not clear whether the online sale of crackers is authorised. But, many agents across the state were engaged in dispatching up to a maximum of hundred kilos to a buyer through online deals before posting price estimates and product details on websites, he said.
Aggrieved over this online sale, many retail fireworks traders wondered whether the online sellers come under any regulatory intervention, while the District Administration is providing statutory licenses for vendors to sell crackers permanently on a temporary basis.
