Valentine’s Day in Mumbai is more than just about love and other frivolities, it’s also about money and big business.
Valentine’s Day in Mumbai is more than just about love and other frivolities, it’s also about money and big business
When St Valentine cured his prison guard's daughter of her blindness, he wrote her a simple note that ended with the words 'From your Valentine'. But that was in the Third Century - an age when marriages between lovers were performed in secrecy.
Today, though, romance has translated to serious business. And sometimes quirky too.
Popular florists, Ferns 'N' Petals has come out with a product called chocolate body paint that uses French dark chocolate as its base.
Packaged in bottles of 50 grammes each, the paint comes with a brush for those who want to get naughty this Valentine's.
Jewellery boutique store, Just in Vogue, is also hosting a couple of unusual offers this time. Adora, for instance, has come out with a complete range of crown-shaped rings that come at a hefty price tag of Rs16,600.
“We sold a piece from the Crown Your Queen range on the day it was launched,” said Afroz Daruwalla, manager, Just in Vogue. “Offers are becoming more experimental and concept-oriented with every occasion as companies want to constantly intrigue customers and thus create brand awareness,” he added.
Even traditional goodies, such as wine, are being packaged and sold differently this time around. India's premium wine traders, Sula Vineyards, launched 'Dia'- the country's first low alcohol wine, early in January, and that's been disappearing off shelves over the week. The reason: “It's a much sweeter wine than our other flavours, and has been brewed keeping women's taste buds in mind” says Rajeev Samant, CEO, Sula Vineyards.
Also, this Valentine’s, noodles are not the only things being tossed in the kitchens of Noodle Bars across the city. The restaurant is running a contest for all its diners. Winners of the contest will be chauffeur-driven to their restaurant, and treated to a full meal for free, and then driven back home.
But not all shops and stores are going over the top. Florista, a popular florist store in Lower Parel, had its shutters down by five in the evening on the eve of Valentine's Day.
A salesperson, on condition of anonymity said, “We do fear a Sena backlash and that is why we have not come out with any offers this time.”
r_lakshmy@dnaindia.net
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