Retailers celebrate Navratras

NEW DELHI: The Navratras, which is marked by buoyant consumption ��� be it clothes, food, durables ��� has given retailers never before reason to cheer. Despite the gloomy mood in the economy, leading retailers claim enthusiastic sales in the Navratras this year. Future group has had an ���exceptional week���. ���We have made an overall revenue of Rs 150 crore in the navratras this year as against Rs 95 crore in the Navratri days last year,��� says a Future Group official. Similarly, Spencer���s, Subhiksha and Vishal Retail have seen robust growth this season.

Says Samar Singh Sheikhawat, VP marketing, Spencer���s retail: ���In the navratras this year, we have had a 20% growth in sales in the fashion (clothing and apparel) category and 15% in furnishings, electronics and upholstery category.��� ���There has been a 25-30% rise in revenues from food courts,��� adds Sheikhawat.

Similarly, Vishal retail has also witnessed a 20% rise in apparel sales across all its stores while also registering a rise of about 10% in food sales during the navratras. ���Our sales are particularly encouraging in Eastern India. Consumers are buying in good quantities there,��� says RC Agarwal, MD, Vishal retail. Rival Subhiksha retail is also claiming a 12% and 18% spike in sales of food and mobiles respectively.

Technopak Advisors chairman Arvind Singhal says:. ���For value retailers, a revenue increase of about 10% can be expected across India���.

Clearly, a superlative marketing effort has gone behind the performance. Value retailing does tend to do well in times of low economic confidence,��� he says. However, Rajan Chibba, CEO, Interim Business Associates, feels that a combination of factors could be responsible for the impressive numbers registered. ���Retailers could well have altered the value mix, putting pricey products on display,��� he says.

���Effective inflation today is about 20%. This could well have bloated the turnover figures over the last year.���