Diwali Sales Raked In $9.7 Bn For Traders, Reveals CAIT

SUMMARY

Trader’s body pegged an INR 40,000 Cr loss to China due to its boycott call

CAIT added that Diwali sales rose by more than 10% year-on-year, indicating “good business prospects” for small businesses

CAIT revealed the numbers after gathering data from 20 different cities

Trader’s body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Sunday revealed that traders have recorded sales of around INR 72,000 Cr ($9.7 Bn) this Diwali across major markets in India. It also pegged an INR 40,000 Cr loss to China due to its boycott call.

CAIT added that Diwali sales rose by more than 10% year-on-year, indicating “good business prospects” for small businesses.

“As per reports gathered from 20 different cities which are also considered to be the leading distribution centers of India, it is expected that Diwali festive sales generated a turnover of about INR 72,000 Cr and gave China the expected loss of INR 40,000 Cr,” CAIT said in a statement.

“People didn’t purchase anything in the last eight months except essentials. Hence people had enough surplus money, and a portion was spent on Diwali festivities,” Praveen Khandelwal, CAIT’s secretary-general added.

At least 20 cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Nagpur, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Bhopal, Lucknow, Kanpur, Noida, Jammu, Ahmadabad, Surat, Kochi, Jaipur, Chandigarh are considered as ‘distribution cities’ by the CAIT for the purpose of its surveys.

The CAIT said that the robust sales that happened in commercial markets during Diwali festive season indicates good business prospects in the future and brought back some smile on the faces of traders.

FMCG goods, consumer durables, toys, electrical appliances and goods, electronic appliances and white goods, kitchen articles and accessories, gift items, confectionary items, sweets, home furnishing, tapestry, utensils, gold and jewellery, footwear, watches, furniture, fixtures, garments, fashion apparels, cloth, home decoration goods were among the products most purchased on Diwali, it said.

It is to be noted that CAIT has been running a campaign to boycott Chinese goods in the country. Earlier in June this year, barely days after the violent Galwan Valley clashes in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives, CAIT urged the Centre and Indian citizens to boycott all Chinese companies.