Kolhapur: A hustle bustle welcomed people at the city markets on Akshaya Tritiya, celebrated on Friday.Discount offers and zero down payment schemes were the baits used by businessmen to attract customers on the auspicious occasion.As the occasion is best known for investing in gold and other metals, the jewellery shops in the city ran to packed stores.Owner of Chipde Jewellers, Murali Chipde said, "In comparison to last year, the response of customers for buying gold jewellery this year has been quite good. The price of gold on the occasion last year was almost as much as this year, but the upcoming wedding season has resulted in more people wanting to buy and invest in gold."The price of gold stood around Rs 29,100 on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, while last year it was Rs 29,950.Citing some of the key reasons for more number of buyers this year, Chipde said that many of the working class citizens are scheduled to get their salaries by the first week of May, which has resulted in higher pre-bookings.Apart from gold, customers indulged in buying silver and other products like electronic gadgets. An owner of a city-based home appliances store said that the electronic market saw a mixed response as buyers opted for refrigerators and airconditioners."We did offer several discounts and zero per cent finance scheme, which got a better response, but most of the customers seem to have got their deals at Gudi Padwa this year," the owner said.

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