Luxury shopping gets a festive lift after a lacklustre year-and-a-half

All that glitters is not gold; it’s probably Gucci. Indulging in the festive spirit ahead of Diwali, the Italian fashion house recently launched an India-exclusive collection: Exotic bags in three sparkling colours and retailing below the Rs 2-lakh mark.

After a lacklustre year-and-a-half, luxury retail shopping in India is gaining traction again. And new launches and special packages by brands have brought the energy back.

At DLF Emporio, one of New Delhi’s two luxury malls (the other’s Chanakya), the excitement is palpable. Groups of shoppers sip on coffee while waiting for stores to call them in. Due to Covid restrictions, most stores — the mall has 90-plus — allow only five people in at a time. For many, sales figures have touched pre-pandemic levels.

“With some international travel restrictions still in place, shoppers are finally seeing potential in the Indian luxury market,” says Tanya Kesar, a sales executive at the Gucci store. “Our handbags are a favourite — both for personal use and gifting — and their sales have gone back up this season,” she says. “We have also seen demand from cities like Chandigarh and Lucknow, and the southern states. People from Tier 2 and 3 cities are flying in or placing orders.”

At Michael Kors, free customisations are on offer — hand-painted initials and motifs, which can be included on the purchase of any of the brand’s monogrammed wallets and bags that cost upwards of Rs 10,000. “Sales are picking up rapidly. As compared to last year and the previous quarters of this year, the festive season has been a delight and we are almost back to pre-pandemic levels,” says a sales executive at the Michael Kors store at Emporio.

A few metres away, at the Jimmy Choo outlet, the new Autumn-Winter collection and the glittery Daisy, Candy, and Sweetie clutches, which cost Rs 47,000-plus, have been flying off the shelves.

“People are enjoying being out, and what better way to celebrate than indulge in some soul satisfying retail therapy?” says Ankita Sharma, a shopper at the luxury mall. “With a host of Diwali parties lined up, I am looking forward to dressing up in the season’s best collections. The Gucci handbags are my current favourite and I am also going to buy new fragrances.”

At a perfume boutique at DLF Promenade, the Giorgio Armani My Way fragrance for women, which retails at Rs 9,900 for a 90-ml bottle, and Tom Ford’s Oud Wood fragrance, which costs Rs 26,000 for 100-ml, are in hot demand and have mostly remained out of stock the entire week. Prada and David Beckham sunglasses, too, are being snapped up. And the Dyson Airwrap hair styler, which was recently launched in a festive special copper colour, has seen sales more than double in the past few months.

A toast to the season

Going with the mood, Delhi’s luxury hotels, too, are pulling out all the stops when it comes to food and hampers.

“We are offering a gourmet selection of handcrafted chocolates, savouries, artisanal bakes and delights along with an exquisite collection of tea and coffee in hampers presented in designer baskets and boxes,” says chef Arun Sundararaj, director of culinary preparations, Taj Mahal, New Delhi.

“The mood is buoyant. We have seen a steady increase in the guests visiting our restaurants for festive dining,” added the chef. “The queries and orders for our hampers are encouraging and our team has been working on them over the last few weeks.” As has the staff at The Lodhi, to ready the hotel’s bespoke hampers that are packed in handcrafted Kauna Grass baskets from Manipur and laden with an assortment of treats prepared in-house by the master chefs. The hampers come with sourdough bread, banana walnut cake, chocolates, macaroons, mithai boxes, and more.

“Life is getting back to normal and we want to celebrate that this festive season,” says Saurabh Khurana, executive assistant manager at The Lodhi.

Also celebrating are distilleries and wineries, which have launched limited-edition festive packs. “William Grant & Sons will be launching an array of limited-edition packs exclusively for the Indian market,” said Payal Nijhawan, head of marketing at WG&S. The distillery, which saw a surge in sales during the festive season last year also, expects the trend to continue.

“Created exclusively for India by master distiller Brian Kinsman, Grant’s Distinction appeals to a new generation of scotch whisky drinkers in the country,” says Nijhawan.  “While whisky remains a favourite, we have also seen gin, especially super premium ones like Hendrick’s, being in big demand,” she adds.

At Fratelli Wines, consumer demand has compelled the brand to launch a special gift box for its popular sparkling wine — Noi. Fratelli’s Sette and J’noon wines are also being picked up as a premium gifting option.

Laduree, the 159-year-old iconic French bakery has prepared a Diwali special opulent macaron pyramid with 24-carat, edible gold macarons. One such pyramid built with 20-24 macaron costs a neat Rs 18,500, and a 40 gold leaf macaron pyramid comes for Rs 34,500. And then there are gift box options, the demand for which is yet another sign of luxury’s return to business.