Coimbatore: Patriotic fervor is in the air as the nation gears up to celebrate Independence Day with pomp and gaiety, but flag makers in Coimbatore say that flag sales are not so rosy.
Sales of national flags have come down marginally compared to the previous years, say traders in Town Hall. There are numerous shops in and around Coimbatore that make a business out of making and selling national flags in different sizes.
Premalatha, an administrator at Bharath wholesale flag manufacturing firm in R.S. Puram says that they have got lesser orders than in the previous years. “We used to receive orders for over 40,000 flags every year, but this year orders have dipped to 25,000 flags,” she said.
Though the exact reason for such a sudden decline in sales is not known, Premalatha said there is a possibility for retail shops to have stocked up flags in abundance by placing fat orders last year itself. “Now the retailers might be selling the existing unsold stock, which could have led to a drop in fresh orders,” she said.
Echoing a similar view, Gandhiji Khadhar Store proprietor Jayakumar said, “we expected demand for flags to increase this year and made around 50,000 flags. Last year bulk purchases were made by government departments, unlike this time. I believe that they may be using the same flags,” he said.
While flags may be the choice of institutions and establishments, youngsters prefer tricolor bands. “Sales of tri color bands have increased steeply by 30 per cent when compared to previous year sales,” said some retail the shop owners. Flags made in Coimbatore, known for their quality and cheap cost, are supplied to even other districts of Tamil Nadu.
