Dhanteras shopping this year extended beyond traditional purchases of gold and silver, with consumers also spending on home appliances, consumer electronics, festive clothing and household essentials.
Strong demand for air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines, along with a surge in purchases of steel utensils, decorative lights and traditional apparel, reflected broader festive consumption during the Navratri-Diwali period.
Consumer durable companies reported double-digit growth in sales during the festive season, with demand picking up further around Dhanteras on Friday, November 6. Industry executives attributed the growth to festive purchases, a shift towards premium products and demand for larger-capacity appliances.
Air conditioners, refrigerators lead appliance demand
Haier Appliances India reported 10-12% growth in sales volumes during the festive season, while value growth stood at around 25-30%, according to N S Satish, President, Haier Appliances India.
He said premium and mid-range products were witnessing stronger demand than affordable products. Side-by-side refrigerators, front-load washing machines and large-screen televisions were among the categories performing well.
Kamal Nandi, Business Head and Executive Vice President, Appliances Business, Godrej Enterprises Group, said the company’s sales value increased more than 50% between the beginning of Navratri and November 5 compared with the corresponding period last year.
Air conditioners led the growth, followed by refrigerators and washing machines. Nandi said demand was broad-based across product categories and markets, with both premium and mass-market segments recording growth.
Blue Star also reported strong festive demand. B Thiagarajan, Managing Director, Blue Star, said the company’s revenue had grown more than 40% during the week leading up to Dhanteras.
Steel utensils, decorative lights and festive clothing see a surge
Purchases through quick-commerce platforms also reflected the wider range of Dhanteras shopping.
According to data shared by Zepto, sales of steel utensils increased 20 times compared with a non-festive day, while decorative light sales rose 18.2 times.
Men’s kurta sales were 5.4 times higher, indicating increased demand for festive clothing. Broom sales surged 38.6 times compared with a regular day, while rangoli colours and wicks together recorded sales of around 6,000 units in an hour.
The platform also recorded peak sales of approximately 298 coins in a minute on Dhanteras, highlighting continued demand for traditional festive purchases.
Premium products drive value growth
The appliance industry’s festive performance also points to a preference for premium and feature-rich products.
Haier’s Satish said mid- and high-end products were seeing stronger traction, with large-capacity refrigerators and front-load washing machines performing well. However, entry-level television models, particularly 32-inch and 43-inch LED TVs, were not witnessing similar demand.
Godrej Enterprises Group’s Nandi said growth was visible across both premium and mass-market categories, suggesting that festive spending was not restricted to higher-priced products.
The broader consumption trend comes despite price increases announced by companies to offset higher costs. Industry executives said demand had remained strong through the festive period, although the sustainability of purchases after Diwali would be important to watch.
The festive season, which typically contributes 30-40% of annual sales for appliance manufacturers, remains a key period for consumer durable companies.
-With PTI inputs