Boom Time for Fashion in India

The festive season in India is such a huge phenomenon. The season, that begins in earnest in autumn and lasts till mid-winters, morphs the country to its brightest and most jubilant avatar of the year. It’s the time the entire nation musters together to feast, pray, share love and above all—SHOP, with unsurpassed fervour. Auto sales jump up, gold buying picks up, bumper discounts pervade, new products are launched—all in all, sales velocity reaches its pinnacle triggered by the increased demand during the festive season.

- Bharti Sood & Rosy Sharma

The festive season in India is indeed a phenomenon, that is acknowledged by local as well as global players, with even tech behemoth Apple choosing to launch the new iPhone 7 series on the 7th of October to get the most out of this extended span of exuberance.

For the fashion retail industry, it’s rush hour! Everyone, right from hawkers on the streets to luxury brands on the high streets pin their hopes on the festive season to hit the right note with the consumers. The manifestations of this enthusiasm becomes apparent with elaborate in-store decorations, vibrant lighting, visual merchandising campaigns, promotional offers and discounts. Simply put, this is precisely the time that the entire industry gears up for, throughout the year.

Now that the festive season is round the corner, the sleuths at Images BoF decided to delve deeper and perceive the trends of this season as foretold by some retail giants. This comes straight from the horse’s mouth, so you know you can bet on it.

The Festive Period

So, when exactly does this period start? Conventional wisdom would say that the festive season starts from September, with the onset of Navratri and stay strong upto Diwali. “For a retailer, Navratri and Diwali are the most important days. They are considered auspicious according to Hindu rituals and customers often tend to buy more,” concurs Arpit Bindal, Director, Bindal Apparels Pvt. Ltd., the Delhi based retail chain. However, India is a diverse country even in its festivities. So, from a pan Indian perspective does the festive season start earlier in some parts and later in some, we wanted to know.