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Shimla shopkeepers report festive-season sales down 20-40% as heavy online discounts pull shoppers away
Our read
Shimla's festive sales will more likely than not close the season below last year's level, with only a partial recovery from the current 20-40% drop.
For operators
Shimla's independent shopkeepers say festive sales are down 20-40% on last year as online discounts pull shoppers away, so local stores need to fix parking, display and bulk-buy pricing or keep losing footfall.
Watch
Reported sales shortfall below 20% (the low end of the 20-40% drop) by the end of the festive season would mean footfall is recovering and wholesaler orders will hold.
The report,
Small traders cannot match online rivals because they buy limited stock, face parking problems near main markets and cannot display goods outside shops, Veopar Mandal Shimla president Harjit Kumar Monga and other traders said. They remain hopeful as the season has just begun.
- Sales decline versus last year
- 20-40%
- Business enterprises in Shimla
- about 6,000
- Persons employed by Shimla enterprises
- more than 12,000
- Market slump before festive season
- 3-4 months
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Demand data
From the report. Source details below
| Business enterprises in Shimla: | about 6,000 |
|---|---|
| Persons employed by Shimla enterprises: | more than 12,000 |
| Enterprises in main city: | about 3,000 |
| Market slump before festive season: | 3-4 months |
What it says about consumers
Traders' body claims of 20-40% lower festive sales in Shimla, after a 3-4 month slump, point to online discounting taking share from small offline retail in a hill market, but this is anecdotal and local rather than a national read.
Next data points
- Trader association statements on how sales compare with last year in later festive weeks
- Any administration move on parking or display rules for market shops
- Local traders announcing their own discounts or extended trading hours
- Wholesaler and supplier order volumes from Shimla retailers after the season
The source
First seen