“Traditionally, the Diwali season sees one of the largest volumes of gold sales in India. This is mainly due to two reasons: firstly the auspiciousness associated with buying gold on Dhanteras , and second because Diwali comes at the start of the marriage season,” affirms Keyur Shah, associate director, WGC.

Consumer durables: Consumer durables like TVs and washing machines see a major spurt in sales in the Diwali period. According to estimates, sales rise by 30 per cent in this sector on a yearly basis during festival season. Further, 35-40 per cent of the total sales in a year happens during this period. A company like LG has already surpassed its sales target of Rs 1,800 crore for the current season, which is 35 per cent higher than last year.

“The festive mood, rise in disposable incomes, and bonuses have helped buyers to go for high-end durables. This has benefited the industry,” says P. Dhabai, COO, Haier India.

Mobile handsets: This is a relatively new product that is witnessing one of the most brisk sales these days. Mobile retail chains across the country are witnessing an over 100 per cent jump in sales. Mobile phone sales average around 40,000 handsets a month across all the Future Group formats. RPG Cellucom gets more than 50 customers per store everyday — that makes it almost 2,500 customers every month. HotSpot CEO Sanjiv Mahajan said the telecom retail chain sees its sales going up by 35 per cent in the festival season, while Subhiksha Mobile registers an increase of about 100 per cent in the pre-Diwali season, that is a week before the festival.

... contd.