Indian retail clocks 7% YoY growth in April as RAI flags looming cost pressures

RAI's April 2026 survey shows stable demand with West leading at 9% and South at 8%. Consumer durables and electronics topped categories at 11%, followed by food and grocery at 9%. Industry body warns global cost pressures and cautious discretionary spending could test momentum despite resilient essentials.

— Source publishedFri, 22 May, 2026, 18:35 IST·First seen Fri, 22 May, 2026, 18:37 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

Retailers Association of India (RAI) · RAI survey shows Indian retail grew 7% YoY in April 2026, with West leading regions and consumer durables/electronics

Key facts

  • 7% YoY growth April
  • West 9%
  • South 8%
  • North 7%
  • East 5%
  • Consumer durables/electronics 11%
  • Food & grocery 9%
  • Apparel 8%
  • QSR 8%
  • Footwear 7%
  • Sports/Beauty 5%
  • Furniture 4%

Why this matters

Stable footfall growth with regional and category divergence creates a window to acquire underperforming South/West assets or category specialists in durables before cost pressures widen valuation gaps.