Festive stocking fires up consumer goods sales in September

Sales of consumer products from pulses and edible oils to refrigerators and smartphones improved sequentially in September, after reporting a drop in August, according to the latest data from market trackers and industry estimates. This has raised corporate expectations of buoyant festive season demand, the peak sales period in India.

Sales of daily groceries and essentials expanded 1.1% in September, reversing the trend last month when it fell 14.5%, according to Bizom, which tracks 7.5 million retail stores across the country. The month-on-month growth was driven largely by commodities after kiranas stocked more staples and edible oils in anticipation of strong festive demand.