Khadi wins over COVID-19

Despite the fact that COVID-19 pandemic has hit the retail business badly, it is Khadi which continue to attract customers and its retail sale hit surprising records. On the Gandhi Jayanti alone (October 2) the Khadi sales figure crossed the Rs 1 crore mark at Delhi’s flagship Khadi India outlet in Connaught Place.

According to KVIC, on October 2, the overall sales of Khadi was recorded at Rs 1,02,19,496, which is significantly high given the prevailing Corona pandemic situation. Last year, the total sale at Khadi’s CP outlet on October 2, stood at Rs 1.27 crore.

As many as 1633 bills were generated throughout the day with an average purchase of Rs 6258 per bill. Customers belonging to different segments and age-groups queued at the Khadi India outlet since morning.

Notably, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has also launched its customary annual special 20% discount on all products to celebrate 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena attributed the massive sale figures to the frequent appeals of the Prime Minister  Narendra Modi to buy Khadi and also its growing popularity among masses particularly the youth. “Despite the Corona pandemic, a large number of people still came out to buy Khadi which is a result of the repeated appeals of the PM. Khadi has become a household name and the number of Khadi lovers is constantly growing. And despite a manifold increase in production, KVIC has ensured the highest quality of its product range that has kept our consumer base intact,” Saxena said. He added although the sale figure this year fell just short of the last year’s mark because of the pandemic, the over Rs 1 crore single-day sale figure was still quite satisfactory.

The high sale figure of Khadi this year assumes greater significance. While almost all activities were closed during the Covid-19 lockdown, KVIC continued with its diverse activities across the country that includes the manufacturing of face masks and personal hygiene products like hand wash and hand sanitizers apart from a vast range of fabric and village industries products.