Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Grand shopping festival begins today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over 3,000 outlets selling jewellery, electronic goods, textiles, consumer-durables, cars and autos, as well as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls across the State have been decked up for the second edition of Kerala Tourism’s Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) that gets under way on Monday.

The official inauguration and the mega show will be held in Thrissur on December 6. This is due to the national mourning on account of the death of former Prime Minister V.P. Singh.

Thrissur district had topped the list in sales in the first edition of the festival and hence the district was chosen for the launch of the second edition.

The aim of the GKSF is to make Kerala an international shopping destination in five years on lines of Singapore and Dubai and thereby attract tourists in large numbers to the State.

“We hope that the 45-days of the festival will help the State advance ahead in the trade sector,” says GKSF Director and Additional Director, Tourism, K.N. Satheesh.

The increase in the number of shops participating in the 2007-2008 festival from 2,195 shows the good response from retailers in all major sectors.

Traders have decorated their shops and put up welcome arches to attract the shoppers. Several shops have come up with special discounts and offers.

Shoppers will get a lucky coupon for every purchase from the shops participating in the festival from Monday. The authorities have decided to give the main prizes in gold this year to avoid hassles while giving cars and villas as bumper prizes.

As much as 40 kg of gold awaits the shoppers and this will be distributed through banks. In addition, prizes worth Rs.2 crore will be given as gifts through ‘scratch-and-win.’

The government has started delivering the special decorations and ‘scratch-and-win’ prizes to all the shops that have registered.

The registration is done under three categories – the Gold Partner (registration fee of Rs.25,000), Silver Partner (Rs.5,000) and General Partner (Rs.1,000).

A 24-hour computerised Call Centre has been set up as part of the festival to provide the coupons and prizes without any hassles.

The orders for the prize coupons will be accepted only through the call centre, according to Mr. Satheesh. The orders will be forwarded online to the district centres and the prizes will be given to the respective shops.

The initiative to develop the State into an international shopping destination is commendable and it will certainly boost the trade sector, according to T. Nazirudeen, president, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi. He has urged the traders to make full use of the 40 kg gold prizes announced by the GKSF to increase the sales in the trade season.

It is also commendable that prizes have also been arranged for the traders, he added.

In addition to providing Rs.15 crore for the festival, the government is spending Rs.5 crore to renovate the infrastructure and markets at the SM Street in Kozhikode, Broadway and Mattanchery market in Ernakulam and Chala market in Thiruvananthapuram this year.

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