Christmas footfalls fail to spread cheer evenly

A long Christmas weekend may have led to a spike in footfall at malls, retailers, and food outlets, but the festive cheer failed to spread evenly across consumption categories, industry executives said.

Many consumers made use of the long weekend to go on short outstation trips, while others stepped out to watch star-studded movies, but spending on categories such as apparel and food ordering was muted, mirroring caution among customers.

The assessment comes on the back of retailers of electronics, apparel and makers of packaged consumer goods reporting subdued demand during the October-November festive season as consumers spent with caution.

While several companies did report a demand surge on Christmas, others said the weakness in consumption spilled into December, reflecting stress among households in general.