75th Independence Day: Retailers look to end season sales on a high

Some offering discounts up to 75%, keeping up with the 75th Independence Day theme

As India celebrates 75 years of its independence, retailers are looking to cash in on the theme by rolling out a slew of offers – from hefty discounts to gift vouchers to cashbacks – to boost their sales.

While some of the sales are nearing their end, others have been launched just for the next three days.

Some retailers have introduced a flat 50 per cent discount on their merchandise, while some others are offering up to 75 per cent off, keeping up with the Independence Day theme. 

“As we exit the ‘end of season sale’ period, we have decided to offer 35-40 per cent of our inventory at a flat 50 per cent discount on the last three days of sale (August 13-15),” Manish Kapoor, CEO of Pepe Jeans India, told Business Standard. The flat 50 per cent discount is a way to entice customers to walk in and buy fresh stock, he added.

During the end of season sale, the denim brand offered an average discount of 30-32 per cent. 

Fashion retailer Aldo is offering ‘buy one and get the second product at 75 per cent off’ on select products. Beverly Hills Polo Club is offering up to 50 per cent off on select products. R&B is running an offer where a customer can shop worth Rs 2,500 and get a voucher of Rs 1,250. 

Retailers had already begun the ‘end of season sale’ in June itself, and due to strong sales after two years, the stock available on discount was lower as customers opted to buy even full-priced items. Brands had also reduced the sale period and kept smaller stock on discount. 

Vijay Sales is running a discount of up to 70 per cent but most of its products have an average discount of 10-20 per cent. “We expect sales to be higher by 20-22 per cent compared to last year's Independence Day sales,” Nilesh Gupta, MD of Vijay Sales, said. He also said there were attractive buybacks and cashbacks that would be offered over the next three days. 

Reliance Digital is also running a sale called ‘Digital India Sale’. A customer will get a 10 per cent instant discount on Citibank, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Bank credit and debit cards and on EMIs, and also a 10 per cent discount voucher redeemable on their next purchase, the company said in its social media post. Croma is also running an Independence Day sale. 

“Sales have been good and we are certainly optimistic that sales will pick up. We expect more rush on Sunday as Independence Day is a half day. Sales over pre-pandemic are already up by 20 per cent and we expect them to be better this weekend,” said Pushpa Bector, executive director at DLF retail. She added that as Independence Day sales, coinciding with the end of season sales, are coming to an end, retailers typically offer higher discounts. 

Lalit Agarwal, chairman and managing director of V-Mart Retail, said the firm had witnessed a good response as Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day sales had come together. The retail chain is running offers like ‘buy one get one free’ and also ‘Maha Bachat ka Double Offer’. 

The retail chain, which is predominantly present in smaller towns and cities, had earlier seen an impact on sales due to weak consumer sentiment coupled with inflation.

Special Bonanza
 

Pepe Jeans: 50% off on 35-40% of inventory

Aldo: Buy 1 one, 75% off on select second product

Beverly Hills Polo Club: Up to 50% off on select products

Vijay Sales: Up to 70% discount, off but average discount at 10-20%