<p>Unlike previous years, the end-of-season-sale in apparels has begun a good three weeks ahead of schedule. Retailers and manufacturers say that inventory has piled up owing to a steady rise in prices in the past three months. Sales have dropped almost 20-30 per cent.<br /><br />Apparels, which is one of the fastest selling categories on the retail shelf, have been seeing a slump ever since the price hike came into force. According to some retailers and manufacturers, margins are under severe strain too, owing to high finance charges, labour and production costs, among other things.<br /><br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, Bangalore Central & Brand Factory Chief Marketing Officer Shankar Suryanarayan said “the Happiness Sale started on July 26, which will go on till on August 15. The sale will help us liquidate the spring summer merchandise in store, making way for the new autumn winter season merchandise. The discounts are always higher for sale closing. For this sale, we are offering 100 brands at flat 50 per cent off.” <br />“There are customers who shop during sale and there are customers who shop for fresh merchandise at full price. Over a period of time, customers have come to realise that there are two big sales in a year and they wait for it. However, there are consumers who also wait for new season merchandise,” Suryanarayan said.<br /><br />Indus League CEO Rachna Agarwal also said the discounts being offered by the company are about 2 per cent higher, as compared to the last year. However, special events were planned during the sale such as Jealous Rummage Sale, Scullers Height Sale, Indigo 100 per cent off, etc. The end-of-season sales began on July 5, which will end on August 15. <br />“Compared to last year, this year we have seen an approximate growth of about 30 per cent. We saw better demand from northern and eastern regions of India than South,” Agarwal said. However, the net realisation has been slightly lower this season than previous sale, but the volume has increased. <br /><br />Retailers say though the demand for premium brands (costing Rs 1,500 and above) have been less affected, customers who purchase goods worth less than Rs 1,000 have cut down their volume.<br /><br />As Pantaloon COO Pankaj Tibrewal said “the performance of sale has been very good last month as customers have been waiting for it.”</p>
<p>Unlike previous years, the end-of-season-sale in apparels has begun a good three weeks ahead of schedule. Retailers and manufacturers say that inventory has piled up owing to a steady rise in prices in the past three months. Sales have dropped almost 20-30 per cent.<br /><br />Apparels, which is one of the fastest selling categories on the retail shelf, have been seeing a slump ever since the price hike came into force. According to some retailers and manufacturers, margins are under severe strain too, owing to high finance charges, labour and production costs, among other things.<br /><br />Speaking to Deccan Herald, Bangalore Central & Brand Factory Chief Marketing Officer Shankar Suryanarayan said “the Happiness Sale started on July 26, which will go on till on August 15. The sale will help us liquidate the spring summer merchandise in store, making way for the new autumn winter season merchandise. The discounts are always higher for sale closing. For this sale, we are offering 100 brands at flat 50 per cent off.” <br />“There are customers who shop during sale and there are customers who shop for fresh merchandise at full price. Over a period of time, customers have come to realise that there are two big sales in a year and they wait for it. However, there are consumers who also wait for new season merchandise,” Suryanarayan said.<br /><br />Indus League CEO Rachna Agarwal also said the discounts being offered by the company are about 2 per cent higher, as compared to the last year. However, special events were planned during the sale such as Jealous Rummage Sale, Scullers Height Sale, Indigo 100 per cent off, etc. The end-of-season sales began on July 5, which will end on August 15. <br />“Compared to last year, this year we have seen an approximate growth of about 30 per cent. We saw better demand from northern and eastern regions of India than South,” Agarwal said. However, the net realisation has been slightly lower this season than previous sale, but the volume has increased. <br /><br />Retailers say though the demand for premium brands (costing Rs 1,500 and above) have been less affected, customers who purchase goods worth less than Rs 1,000 have cut down their volume.<br /><br />As Pantaloon COO Pankaj Tibrewal said “the performance of sale has been very good last month as customers have been waiting for it.”</p>