Compared to the previous two seasons, I find that this year, the festival season has been far more celebratory. There were special ads calling on consumers much ahead of the season. The e-commerce firms kick-started this.

The atmosphere is a lot more positive. I actually think it’s because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his stance on the economy and the hope he has offered. His sweeping win in the elections set the tone for Diwali, and consumer sentiment really reflects that they are optimistic. However, I must say that the optimism is cautious, it’s more about hope for the future.

This festive season has seen a lot of deals being offered in many categories, especially in e-commerce. In the jewellery category, too, there were a lot of deals, though at Tanishq, we did not offer any discounts. We are happy with our performance. We got good walk-ins, and we met our goals.

Coin sales were good. This, again, is an indication of cautious optimism as coins are an investment, compared to items of adornment. Gold is the metal/commodity of choice this season so about 60-70 per cent of our sales were in the gold category. Tanishq is known for its studded jewellery.

I’ve seen a lot of action in the electronics (consumer durables) category and noticed that apparel brands have launched several collections. I also notice that those in the lights and LED bulbs categories have been building connections with Diwali, the festival of light.

As told to Sravanthi Challapalli

(Deepika Tiwari is General Manager, Marketing, Tanishq)

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