Published 18:16 IST, December 9th 2019
This shop in Tamil Nadu is offering free onions with purchase of phone
STR Mobiles, a smartphone shop in Tamil Nadu, is offering a kilogram of onions free with the purchase of a smartphone. The consumers can choose different sizes.
STR Mobiles, a smartphone shop in Tamil Nadu, is offering a kilogram of onions free with the purchase of a smartphone. STR Mobiles, a mobile sales and service centre in Pattukottai, put this offer after the prices of onions rose to Rs 200 per kg in many parts of the state including Madurai. While availing the offer, the customers have the option to choose between small and big onions.
Prices rose to Rs 200
The owner of STR Mobiles, Saravanakumar, thought that the idea of giving out free onions with phone would boost the popularity as well as the sales of his shop. While talking to national media he revealed that the offer had brought in more customers, indeed. He further said that normally he sold only three to four mobile handsets a day. But after the announcement of the offer, sales have increased to 10 handsets or more per day during the last two days. Nobody in Pattukottai has ever heard of such offers. So people are curious.
Even as the government scrambles to import more onions and reduce the price of the staple ingredient, this store’s marketing strategy is a testament to the typical Indian mentality that it’s okay to spend money when you’re getting more than what you bargained for. Prices of onion in many places across the country have crossed Rs 100 per kg and are only progressing upwards. Onion prices soared above Rs 200 per kg for some grades in the Solapur market of Maharashtra. Prices touched Rs 100 per kg in Ludhiana in Punjab and over Rs 110 per kg in West Bengal’s Siliguri market. Nirmala Sitharaman had said in the Lok Sabha that the government had taken several steps to check rising prices of onion and had also initiated steps to improve technology for better storage of the kitchen staple.
Updated 19:06 IST, December 9th 2019