Upcoming festive season will boost apparel sales in India, hope retailers

Retailers in India, especially shopping malls, hope, the upcoming festival season will boost sales after the pandemic-induced slump.

The festive season in India starts on July 28 with festivals like Nagara Panchami, Raksha Bandhan, and Varamahalakshmi in August. The season continues till January, covering bigger festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Dusherra, Diwali, Christmas, New Year, and Makar Sankranti.

No restrictions to boost growth

This year’s festive season is expected to be different from the last two years as there are no COVID-19 restrictions and footfalls at both standalone retail outlets and shopping malls are expected to increase steadily.

Having recorded 26 percent growth in April and 24 percent in May, India’s retail sector growth dwindled to 14 percent in June-July because of the inauspicious month of ashada, month, says Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India. The sector is expected to grow in a robust manner in the remaining period with the long festival season giving it a huge fillip, he adds.

Consumption resilience will drive growth despite a rise in commodity prices on an average of 10 percent, observes C Shika, Commissioner, Commercial Taxes. Consumption buoyancy has also led to revenues from commercial taxes increasing to Rs 28,456 crore in the first quarter against a target of Rs 19,118 crore. The growth in tax revenues is expected to get stronger in the festival season.

Malls’ footfalls to increase

Adding to the delight of both traders and the public, there are expected to be no further waves of COVID-19 and infections are likely to remain endemic with fewer hospitalizations. This will prevent traders from suffering from any further lockdowns and curfews.

The rapid rise in vaccination has placed the Indian retail industry in a better position compared to the last two years, opines M K Sudarshan, Chairman, COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee. Retailers can look forward to a good festive season this year by adhering to all COVID-19-related norms, he adds.

With no drastic curbs required, shopping malls can anticipate big crowds during the upcoming season, says Uday Garudachar, Owner, of Garuda Mall. Footfalls at the mall have already reached 80 percent of pre-COVID levels and may exceed it in the next few months, he adds. In August's first week, the retailer aims to relaunch events held during festivals before the pandemic.

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