'What's in your shopping cart?' Govt plans first nationwide retail consumption survey

New Delhi: The government is considering launching a nationwide retail consumption survey to generate granular data on consumer spending patterns, people aware of the development said.

The proposed survey, to be conducted by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI), will cover businesses across all National Industrial Classification (NIC) codes, from utensil and machinery stores to pharmacies and apparel outlets. It is expected to track retail sales of consumer durables and non-durables.

The survey is likely to capture the value and volume of goods sold through retail establishments across states. "The government is considering the survey; no timeline has been decided yet," a government official said



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MoSPI is examining the time period of the survey, the official added.

Unlike the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), which records household consumption during a reference period, the proposed retail consumption survey will measure purchases at the point of sale.

For instance, if a household buys one kilogram of rice but consumes only 500 grams during a month, the HCES records the quantity consumed, while the retail consumption survey will capture the entire one kilogram sold by the retailer.

Digital payments data indicate robust consumer spending across retail categories. According to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), transactions worth ₹79,705 crore were recorded at grocery stores and supermarkets in June.

Spending at drug stores and pharmacies totalled ₹12,428.8 crore. Men's and women's clothing stores recorded ₹11,792.9 crore in transactions, while family clothing stores accounted for ₹7,059.8 crore. The initiative aligns with MoSPI's broader strategy of producing user-centric, high-frequency statistical outputs.

The ministry aims to diversify official statistics by integrating survey findings with administrative and alternative data sources, while leveraging emerging technologies and partnerships to meet evolving data needs.