RAI CEO sees festive retail sales growth crossing 10% on GST cuts

The Retailers Association of India expects festive-season sales to grow over 10%, with GST rate cuts lifting demand across consumer durables, jewellery, garments and footwear. Organised retail is positioned to outpace the broader market through Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali.

— FiledWed, 17 Sept, 2025, 01:55 IST·First seen Thu, 14 May, 2026, 21:43 IST·Source CNBC-TV18 · Retail

What happened

Retailers Association of India (RAI) · RAI CEO expects Indian festive retail sales to grow over 10%, driven by GST rate cuts boosting consumer durables,

Key facts

  • 10% festive sales growth

Why this matters

A demand-rich festive window across multiple categories strengthens the case for accretive bolt-ons in organised retail formats best leveraged to convert GST-led tailwinds.

What to watch

  • GST notification timing and actual pass-through to shelf prices
  • Weekly footfall and same-store-sales data through Navratri/Dussehra/Diwali
  • Gold price trajectory affecting jewellery volumes
  • Rural demand signals (monsoon, agri income) and urban discretionary spend
  • Promotional intensity / discounting depth as margin proxy
  • Retailers front-load inventory and ramp promotional campaigns ahead of Navratri
  • Consumer durable and jewellery brands pass GST savings into headline pricing to spur volume
  • Financing partners expand no-cost EMI and credit offers to lift conversion
  • Listed retailers and QSR/discretionary names guide optimistically into Q3 earnings