CHENNAI: The good old traditional print calendar is perhaps no longer in vogue, with only a few office spaces and fewer city residences adorning their walls or tables with the 2012 calendar. Gone are the days when these handy schedule devices were generously circulated as freebies from corporate houses and the one off shopping spree goodies during the holiday rush. But this year, it might serve as a timely warning that if you want one, you might have to actually make a purchase. In fact, according to one merchandise manager at a prominent store in the city, the maximum sales of calendars during the holiday season is between 5 and 10 per cent.“Most people walk into our store to pick up a diary for New Year,” says a store manager at Landmark, Citi Centre. “We have several bulk orders for diaries from corporate houses but none these days for calendars, so even our stock for the latter is limited,” he shares. Asked whether it is the cost that puts a wet blanket on calendar sales, the answer is in the negative. “Our prices range between `65 and `200 for conventional designs that are either a single sheet per month or two months in each sheet.” This is apart from a themed range of pieces that is targeted at music lovers and sports enthusiasts, and is priced a little higher. He elaborates. “We’ve got some calendars that have photographs exclusively of rock legends like The Doors, Led Zeppelin and for football fans, we’ve have Manchester United and Arsenal calendars.A majority of city residents are caught off guard when posed with the question of a new calendar for 2012. Robin Stephen, who owns an Automobile design firm, says, “Honestly, I think desk calendars are very convenient to schedule appointments. But I’ve synched the calendar on my phone with my computer so that I can access it anywhere.” He goes on to add, “The one thing that I used to do with my old print calendars was jot down notes at the side of a date, but these days they don’t offer you adequate space to do that.” Despite a market low, the print calendar with a cardboard spine will never quite go out of style. For old timers, this month-by-month guide remains an irreplaceble element to household tradition and aesthetics. Businesswoman Weena Pradhan says, “We haven’t bought our calendars for the house or office as yet. But we will soon, and I don’t mind spending as much as `300 – `400 on something classy and culture oriented.” She adds, “Personally for me, a calendar is a pleasure to look at, not just a convenience.”
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