Republic Day sales may give Rs 1,500 cr to retail players

Online and offline firms hope to cash in on the last major discount sale this festive season

Online and offline Republic Day sales could collectively reach Rs 1,500 crore as experts see demand picking up after demonetisation.

Online marketplaces Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal; brick and mortar players and mall owners have all organised sales, where the emphasis is on going cashless. During last year’s festive season, they ended up with $1.5 billion in sales or order value.

Republic Day sales are the last of the major discounts in the festive cycle in the retail industry.

Experts were anxious about footfalls at malls and high-street stores after demonetisation saw sales tumbling. Industry body Assocham estimates retailers will end