By Sheela Narayanan

LADEN with shopping bags and sharing a laugh with her good friend by her side, Mrs Tina Ramdas looked excited as she sniffed out the bargains at the Deepavali Bazaar in Little India on Oct 13.

The festive season was nigh and she was in the mood to spend some money.

The 43-year-old Singaporean told tabla! that she took two days off from her job as a manager in a marine company and had already spent over $500 on new clothes, accessories and decorations for her home. By the time the festival of lights is celebrated on Oct 17, she expects to have shelled out more.

After all, the festive season is not a time to be frugal and, with the economy on the rebound, this is going to be a better celebration, she said.

"I have not cut back on my spending. When it comes to Deepavali, you have to shop, you have to spend. You have to buy new things for the house, clothes and presents."

It seems that the Indian community is relieved that it can open the purses and wallets a little wider this year.
Retailers and shoppers tabla! spoke to agree that there are sparks of consumer confidence, ignited by the good news about the recession being on its way out.

Two weeks ago, the twinkling lights along Serangoon Road looked a little dim for Mr Rajakumar Chandra, the chairman of the Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (Lisha). Attendance at the annual Deepavali Bazaar, which usually targets about 500,000 visitors during its run, was not looking good. Plus his store, Jothi, was facing a drop of between 30 and 40 per cent in sales.

However, his hopes of a last minute shopping blitz came true when the crowds started to throng Little India.

"I am happy to see the crowd back. It will definitely get bigger two days before Deepavali," he said on Oct 14.

Echoing his sentiments is Mr Chandran Raju, owner of Selvi's sweet shop in Little India Arcade. He says business at the booth he took at the bazaar, selling sweets and savoury snacks, has picked up this week.

Said Mr Raju: "It has been picking up since last Saturday and, yes, people are a bit more careful but they are still spending money."

Mr Naresh Jaiswal, a director with a local audio firm who is planning on hitting the malls for his last minute buys, feels people are finally getting into the festive mood.

"There are still plenty of people shopping in Singapore for Diwali. They may be cautious but they are still optimistic," he said.

Over at Song of India and Yantra, the two fine dining restaurants report it is already a better celebration as they claim their mithai boxes are sold out and that the response was much better than last year.

"We've been inundated with orders and we've had to order more sweets from our suppliers," said the Yantra spokesman.

Mr Prakash Nayak, manager at the Clarke Quay restaurant Ras-The Essence of India, is also feeling very optimistic this festive season as the restaurant is seeing an increase in catering orders for parties.

"I estimate we have had between 10 and 15 per cent more catering orders for parties in homes and offices. Demand for outdoor catering events has increased by about 30 per cent," he said.

Mr Rishi Gill, who runs event management company Nasha One, is providing deejay services for three Diwali balls this month, one held at a high-end condominium with over 300 expatriates on the guest list.

He is also holding a festive countdown party at the Supperclub at Odeon Towers on
Oct 16 which he says has had a lot of response.

"Last year there was only one Diwali ball as most of the functions were cancelled because of the financial crisis and from January to June, it was very quiet on the party scene. Things are definitely picking up," he said.

Mr Le Gill, designer and owner of fashion label Anaarkali and Kuchh, adds that the festive season is when people can shrug off the gloom of the economic slowdown.

"When it comes to Diwali, there is no question that they will spend. It is once a year and you can't stint when it comes to such a major festival," he said.

"Obviously it seems that the worst is over," he added.