MARKET SLOWDOWN

VINITA SUVARNA-BHATIA

As sales take a beating from 20 to 50 percent compared to

last year, partners have begun singing Raj Kapoor's famous song (which means 'We

live here, we die here, where else do we go') with a feeling of resignation.

Says Chetan Saigal of OST Comptech, Delhi, “Wholesale business has been

affected the most, because resellers are having problem finding customers.”

However, the slump in demand is bringing out the best from

partners who are resorting to innovative measures to boost sales.

Mumbai-based Zeta Technologies bundled sunglasses with its

products and made good business. Zeta also stepped up its marketing efforts by

sending members of its sales team to various assemblers to keep them informed

about products and prices

According to Bharat Bhushan, Director, RR Systems, the trick

to make it through the slow market phase is to avoid over stocking.

Hyderabad-based SV Electronics has shifted its focus on home-users and started

working on profitable product lines to maintain an overall healthy bottomline.

Believing that it is better to be safe than sorry, Wellwin

continues to trade with select partners at the right price. The main reason

behind this was to avoid any payment hassles. Also, Wellwin has started bundling

fast moving goods with ones not moving as quickly.

Jagdish Varma of Connoisseur Electronics however has no

intentions of steering away from the tried and tested line he is in. “Trying

to move into a different business line because of a recession, without a

complete knowledge about that field is dangerous,” he cautions.