Ganesh Chaturthi gold sales volumes fall 15% as prices hit ₹1.57 lakh per 10g

Gold jewellery sales volume declined about 15% year on year during Ganesh Chaturthi, according to industry estimates, as record prices shifted shoppers toward lighter designs, old-gold exchanges and bullion. Jewellers expect festive and wedding-season demand to improve.

— Source publishedTue, 22 Sept, 2026, 07:04 IST·First seen Tue, 22 Sept, 2026, 08:57 IST·Source ET Retail

What happened

India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA) · India’s Ganesh Chaturthi gold jewellery sales fell about 15% in volume as record prices pushed buyers toward

Key facts

  • Gold sales volume down about 15% year-on-year during Ganesh Chaturthi
  • Gold price at Rs 1.57 lakh per 10 grams including 3% GST
  • Gold price up about 60% from Rs 98,000 per 10 grams a year earlier
  • Umedmal Tilokchand Zaveri is a 100-year-old outlet
  • Ananya Jewels expects double-digit festive-season growth

Why this matters

High gold prices are accelerating consumer demand for lightweight jewellery, exchange-led sales and bullion, making these formats and value-oriented retail capabilities attractive partnership or acquisition targets.

What to watch

  • Gold price movement around ₹1.57 lakh per 10g and whether it stabilizes or breaches new highs.
  • Diwali and wedding-season booking trends, especially average ticket size, grams per invoice and cancellation rates.
  • Share of sales from old-gold exchange, instalments and gold-savings-plan redemptions.
  • Footfall conversion rate versus raw store visits; improving visits without conversion would confirm affordability stress.
  • Demand split between lightweight jewellery, bridal sets, coins and bars.
  • Rupee movement, global rate expectations and geopolitical risk, which can extend domestic gold-price inflation.
  • Increase inventory depth in lightweight, modular, daily-wear and lower-ticket collections rather than heavy bridal pieces.
  • Expand old-gold exchange, transparent buyback and gold-savings-plan campaigns to convert price-sensitive footfall.
  • Use EMI, advance-booking and rate-protection offers to reduce purchase deferral without broad discounting.
  • Shift marketing from gold weight to design value, making charges, resale value and occasion-led gifting.
  • Tighten hedging and replenishment cycles as price volatility raises inventory and working-capital risk.
  • Track bullion-versus-jewellery mix: rising bullion purchases signal household gold demand is holding up but retail jewellery conversion is weakening.