Apparel retailers reset their summer calendar with early end-of-season sales as consumer spending cools | Company Business News-OxBig News Network

New Delhi: Apparel retailers that have advanced their summer sales this year in response to months of sluggish demand have stumbled upon some interesting insights. For one, evolving consumer behaviour has left them competing not just with other retailers but with entirely unrelated sectors.

Retailers are also striving to be nimbler to keep shoppers engaged, and hoping that the government’s moves to boost consumption revives demand by the festive season towards the end of the year.

“Several leading brands, including H&M, Marks & Spencer, and RBL, have already kicked off their sales from mid-June,” said Pushpa Bector, senior executive director and business head, DLF Retail, which operates malls in the Delhi-National Capital Region. “This year, brands are responding with sharper pricing and a wider range of offers, making this a strong retail moment across categories.”

In India, summer end-of-season sales usually commence during mid-to-late June and go on till end-July or even August. This year, however, several brands advanced their summer season sales by a week or two, with a focus on liquidating excess stock and adapting to a market where consumers are spending on experiences over discretionary purchases.

“This trend isn’t limited to India—it reflects a broader global pattern,” said Nitin Chhabra, chief executive officer of Ace Turtle, which operates brands such as Lee and Wrangler in India and has advanced its summer sales by a week this year.

“Consumers worldwide are increasingly allocating a larger share of their spending towards travel and experiential activities, which has had a direct impact on discretionary retail categories like (apparel),” said Chhabra.

“The government’s announcement of no income tax for individuals earning up to ₹12 lakhs, along with three interest rate cuts by the (Reserve Bank of India), is expected to boost disposable income and reinvigorate consumer spending—especially among India’s growing middle class. We expect these positive measures to start yielding results and translate into increased sales by Diwali,” he added.

Retail sales in April grew by a mere 4% from a year earlier, according to the Retailers Association of India’s data released last month. Apparel sales grew 5%, while footwear sales were up 2%.

Large offline retailers such as Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd have been calling out a challenging consumption environment, especially for discretionary categories, over the previous two-three quarters.

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The online play

Unlike traditional retail, online sales have become a constant through the year. Digital marketplaces and e-commerce platforms, including direct-to-consumer or online-first brands, prefer hosting sales across categories such as beauty, apparel, and electronics at different times during the year.

Online fashion retailer Myntra, a subsidiary of Walmart-owned Flipkart, held its flagship ‘End of Reason Sale’ between 31 May and 12 June this year. Last year, Myntra similarly began its summer sale on 31 May but concluded it on 7 June.

A Myntra spokesperson said orders during the retailer’s latest flagship sales doubled over business-as-usual days, and that the sales saw a 1.3 time increase in new customers over last year’s edition.

Rival Ajio, owned by Reliance Retail Ltd, also hosted its ‘Big Bold Sale’ during the same period as Myntra this year.

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“The discounting landscape has evolved considerably. With rising competition and more sale-led triggers across platforms, brands today are optimizing for longer sale windows to stay relevant,” said Sidhant Keshwani, founder and CEO of ethnic wear brand Libas, adding that online discounting has definitely influenced broader retail behaviours.

Libas has already concluded its end-of-season summer sale and is gearing up for its ‘Purple Day Sale’, its flagship annual event, which is set to go live between late July and early August, followed closely by the launch of its autumn-winter collection.

“There are several contributing factors. With the festive season approaching earlier this year, we’re seeing a clear shift in consumer purchase patterns—shoppers are starting earlier and shopping more mindfully,” Keshwani said.

“At our end, we’ve expanded our assortment significantly, both in terms of stock-keeping units and new categories, which has allowed us to tailor our discounting and marketing strategy more effectively,” he added. “While promotional events continue to perform, what’s been most encouraging is the 20-30% full-price sell-through we’re seeing across key product lines,” he said.

Fresh and flexible

Sanjay Vakharia, co-founder and CEO of denim brand Spykar, said demand for apparel has been subdued so far this year, including because of the brief India-Pakistan conflict that kept people from shopping, particularly at malls, in some states.

Despite that, Spykar, which began its summer season sale this week and will conclude it by 31 July, is focusing on driving margins and bringing fresher collections to its stores, said Vakharia.

“We are going to control and curtail the period of sales so we can get in more freshness, and offer merchandise to consumers at a full price and curb the habit of customers waiting for end-of-season sales,” he said.

Nishank Joshi, chief marketing officer at Nexus Select Malls, which operates 19 malls in India, said brands are becoming smarter in response to greater competition.

“While the early monsoon may have had a small impact the larger story is that Indian retail is becoming sharper, more responsive, and more in tune with what customers want and when they want it,” Joshi said. “This year is not just about shifting timelines for EOSS (end-of-summer sales), but it reflects a shift in how brands, retailers, and consumers think. Today, brands are more flexible and consumer-focused to stay relevant and competitive.”

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