Ahmedabad : On the first Sunday of every August, friendship bonds are redefined. In 2010, the day falls on August 1. While schoolchildren, collegians, couples and families are excited to celebrate this special day, the markets have obliged with a surfeit of gift options that fit every budget.

Typically, college students have taken the lead in the celebration. Upasana Modi and Riddhi Mehta, students of Nirma College spent almost half-an-hour deciding on the kind of friendship bands they wanted to buy.

"This is a very important day for us. We have saved from our pocket money to buy something for close friends. It is a genuine token of thanks for those who've stood by our side through thick and thin," the duo says in unison. Endorsing these emotions is a souvenir placed on the shelf in the shop behind them that says "Thanks a bunch friend, you make ordinary times special."

Those in a relationship are not letting this day of celebration go by either. "We used to go gifts for each other separately before we started seeing each other. The importance of this day has not changed after we started celebrating Valentine's Day. It's still as special because it was with friendship that it all started," said a young couple at a mall.

Gift shops are geared up to make most of the demand. The most common items on sale include friendship bands, cards, quotations, soft toys, wind chimes, key chains, mementoes and special pendants, to name a few.

"Customers' budgets range from a modest Rs 150 to an extravagant Rs 2,000 sometimes. Footfalls increase by five times around friendship day," says Vineet Gohil, manager of a leading gift store in the city. For confectioner Pawan Vyas, it's windfall time too, "With Friendship Day nearing, we register an increase of about 30% of customers. We have done customised packaging of cookies, and have kept a huge stock of chocolates."