This year is no match to other years when footfalls, enquiries and bookings for car and two-wheelers rise in the week preceding the festive occasion
Euphoria of consumers ahead of the annual Rathyatra is considerably subdued, said prominent dealers of automobiles. This year is no match to other years when footfalls, enquiries and bookings for car and two-wheelers rise in the week preceding the festive occasion. Dealers hope that remaining days may fill a part of the shortfall.
A senior official of a prominent dealer for India's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd said on the condition of anonymity that footfalls and enquiries this time are significantly lower than previous years. Consumers are trying to delay buying and payments as much as they can. "With two days still left, we can only hope for a revival in demand," he said.
While April, May and June witnessed growth in sales, July sales are worse than previous years, he said. Rathyatra marks the beginning of the festive season in Gujarat followed by Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Dusshera and Diwali. He hopes that in case demand does not revive on Rathyatra, it should revive by the end of Diwali.This year Rathyatra falls on Saturday, July 14. While bookings and payments are made in advance, buyers take deliveries on Rathyatra.
Rupesh Jantrania, director of Oceanic TVS said that footfalls and bookings witnessed on previous festive occasions is missing this Rathyatra. "Normally, the week preceding Rathyatra is a hectic one for us. This is not the case this year," he said.
Harshad Desai, senior VP of Landmark Honda is confident that he will be able to sell more cars this year in comparison to previous years. Recently upgraded compact sedan Amaze as well as company's flagship product Honda city and compact SUV WRV are the products he is betting on for higher sales.
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