For Indians, weddings are an important part of our heritage and tradition. The weddings which are usually weeks long have shrunk to two to three days and the people who usually gather for the wedding have shrunk to close relatives and friends. Due to COVID offline shopping has been shifted to digital mediums. But the jewelry craze is still the same even in times of pandemic. The gold retailers are making a come-back since there is an increase in demand for gold after a slow recovery post-unlock. There was an increase in footfalls which was witnessed by Reliance Jewels showrooms after the country started unlocking.
A spokesperson of the company tells afaqs! That a section of their customers is wedding shoppers, whose weddings were originally on Q1 and Q2 which was postponed to Q3 and Q4. The average investment in weddings has gone down since there are fewer pre-and post-wedding functions and also the attendees. The surplus budget has been kept aside allowing more investments in gold for the security for the future. There is also a surge in old gold exchange and pre-booking jewellery and also anticipating the increase in price in the short and mid-term which was witnessed by Reliance Jewels. The spokesperson commented that detailed manner designed temple jewellery and beautiful antique gold designs are loved by young couples. For the wedding brigade, gold and coloured gemstones are the next preferred choice.
There is a blend of both traditional and modern patterns. There is also an increase in demand for lightweight, functional jewellery and also more wearable pieces, which are detectable and reversible and can be styled in different ways and on different occasions. Reliance Jewels have launched a kids collection-‘Nitara’ in these times, which the fact has to be kept in mind that children are increasingly gravitating towards style. The collection designs have been inspired by fairytales and fantasies, with elements like butterflies, stars, unicorns, flowers, among others starting at Rs 3000. Visiting offline jewellery stores have become very important to consumers. In Shoppers’ minds, consumers’ opinions on retail space sanitation will likely to continue for some more time.
