Its the Xmas season in the city!

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,: Stars and ornaments from China, Christmas tree from Thailand, and cribs from Malaysia - the Christmas sales in the city have an international flavour. With only six days left, people are in the run-up to the big day and traders are vying to have maximum business.  Paper stars still rule the market, though some shops have introduced LED stars this year. ‘’A majority of the people still prefer paper stars, for they come in different sizes and attractive prices,’’ said Naseer, owner of a fancy store in the Chalai market. From a tiny star costing Rs 10 to a 16-pointed one of Rs  250, a variety of paper stars are lined up at his shop. Several shops in Chalai have also put up attractive Christmas trees and cribs for sale at budget prices. While a tree would cost you anything between Rs 350 and Rs 1,400, cribs range between Rs 30 and Rs 500. Those who don’t mind spending a few bucks more can buy lovely trees and cribs imported from Thailand or Malaysia. Imported Xmas trees are a big hit at Style Plus, an upmarket store in the city. ‘’We had displayed more than 70 trees in the beginning of this month. Now only 12 are left,’’ said Shafad, a salesman of the shop. The trees come in six sizes - between 4 ft and 10 ft. The price range is from Rs 1,650 to Rs 10,395.Christmas table settings introduced by The Garden City shop at Narmada Complex are getting an encouraging response from customers, says its proprietor Rasmi James. ‘’We sell customized table tops to host Christmas lunch and dinner and every day we get around five orders. Bushy pine trees are also in great demand,’’ she said.Simple decorative items, flowers and wall hangings are having a good sale this year too, said some shop owners. Many of them like Manoj, of Palayam, had ordered more such items this year. ‘’People prefer buying a box of decorations, including balls, bells, little stars and Santa miniatures. We also get a decent profit from one box,’’ he said. Two boxes priced at ` 105 and ` 150 are kept for sale at his shop. Several shops in Palayam have put up a variety of decorations in golden and ilver colours. Santa Claus costumes are also fast-moving items, according to traders.Outfits in three or four standard sizes are available at several shops. ‘’Earlier, only Santa costumes for children had good sales. But it has changed now and the demand for Santa’s adult-size costumes is increasing. They are mainly bought for celebrations at institutions,’’ said a shop owner in Chalai.