Poor consumer confidence hits rural FMCG demand; sales growth drag

Those expecting a resurgence of consumer confidence once the upheaval of demonetisation and GST settled, have had their hopes squashed by rural India where demand for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) remains weak.
 
The recent data from market analytics firm Nielsen shows that the rural market in the country’s 630,000-odd villages is pulling down the overall FMCG business. In the April-June quarter, traditionally a strong period after the slump of the winter months, growth in rural markets was the lowest since early 2018.
 
FMCG product sales in the rural market in this quarter grew by a meagre 5.9 per