Unsold stock, duds and what we take back after the season

Every dealer worries about two things at the end of the season: cases that did not sell, and customers who come back with duds. Here is how we handle both.

Unsold stock is normal. Most of our lines keep for a year if they are stored dry, off the floor and out of the sun. We suggest you carry them over to Karthigai, weddings and next Deepavali rather than selling them off cheap. For dealers who have booked with us for three seasons or more, we take back unopened cases of our fast movers for credit against the next year’s order, by arrangement before 30 November.

Duds are a different matter. A few in a case can happen with any manufacturer, usually from damp in transit or storage. If you see more than you would expect from one line, note the batch number printed on the carton label and send us photos with the date it arrived. We check the batch against samples kept at the factory. If the fault is ours, we replace the stock in your next lorry.

We cannot take back opened boxes from retail customers, or stock that has been kept in a wet godown. And we will always ask your counter staff to tell customers plainly: never relight a dud. Wait at least twenty minutes, then soak it in a bucket of water before throwing it away.