NRG SHOPPING SPREE
Expats Fulfil Pending Shopping Agenda This Season
Weak If a shopper is splurging this season, there’s a good chances he or she is an NRG. The weakening rupee, now valued at Rs 52.71 against dollar has left the NRGs visiting the state on their annual trip happy as they find themselves with even greater spending power.
Ghanshyam Thakkar, an engineer from US, recently bought an apartment in Ambawadi. “As the rupee weakened, I decided to transfer my money here and invest in realty. I always wanted to buy a house in my hometown and I am fortunate that I could benefit from the currency fluctuation. I have managed to save a few thousand dollars in the transaction,” said Thakkar.
Similarly, other NRGs are also aggressive on their shopping. If not buying something a big as apartment or gold, there are NRG shoppers busy finishing long lists of small items. “I could finally buy an Amdavadi sari,” said Renu Thakkar from Canada. Thakkar had wanted to buy this sari costing around Rs 25,000 for the last couple of years. “I could afford to buy now it as dollars could buy more this year,” added Thakkar gleefully.
While some bought traditional goodies for themselves, others found to have extra cash on hand to splurge for their family or associates. Says Kanan Shah from US, “This is my dream-come-true trip,” said Shah as this time she could get designer chaniacholi sets done for her two daughters.
“There is a trend to wear traditional clothes during Navratri and Diwali get-togathers in the US and I did not have any traditional sets for my kids. Last time I visited the city, after finding out the prices I had to put my plan of buying them on the back burner. However, this time, I could finish this item pending on my agenda and got two sets of traditional clothes designed for both my daughters,” said Shah.
However, shop owners do not confirm the trend. “A decade ago during NRG season, we offered special discounts to NRG buyers as they bought sarees in large numbers,” said Ajay Patel of Chimanlal Vrajlal. “However, this season the shopping spree has picked up but it is not that overpowering yet.”
