Retail Sector

After 12 years, the French retailer's return to India signals a shift in the retail landscape

India's retail sector maintained a steady trajectory in August, recording a 10 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) pan-India growth, according to a business survey by the Retail Association of India. Building on July's strong recovery, stable consumer demand across key regions and categories indicates strong industry preparation for the upcoming festive peak, it said. For August this year, regional sales growth remained consistent across the country at 10 per cent, led by an 11 per cent growth in West India, which outperformed other zones. South India followed closely at 10 per cent, matching the national average while East India and North India delivered stable growth trajectories during the month, registering 8 per cent and 9 per cent growth, respectively, RAI said. According to the survey, essential and routine categories remained the primary growth drivers, with quick service restaurants (QSR) peaking at 15 per cent and food & grocery reaching 12 per cent during the previous ...

India's retail sector has evolved from neighbourhood kiranas to organised retail, ecommerce and quick commerce, driven by liberalisation, technology and changing consumer habits

Brokerage reports state that mass categories performed well during the quarter and the sector was aided by store expansion

PC Jeweller Ltd on Thursday reported 21 per cent growth in consolidated revenue during the first quarter of this fiscal and said it will become a debt-free company during the July-September period. In a regulatory filing, the company said that it concluded the first quarter of 2026-27 with a consolidated revenue growth of about 21 per cent year-on-year. "Debt reduced by more than 90 per cent; Debt-Free status to be achieved in the current quarter itself," it said in the business update. PC Jeweller has reduced its outstanding debt that was payable to the banks under the terms of Joint Settlement Agreement, by another 24 per cent during the June quarter. "With this reduction, the company has now reduced its outstanding debt by more than 90 per cent as on date, since the execution of the Settlement Agreement with banks on 30 September 2024. The repayment of remaining outstanding debt and attaining a debt-free status in the ongoing quarter itself will significantly improve the company

Retail sales, a key gauge of consumption, slid 0.6 per cent in May, reversing April's 0.2 per cent rise and below the estimated 0.0 per cent, the first monthly fall since December 2022

Brokerages cut Bata India earnings estimates as weak margins and slow volume growth overshadow improving demand and revenue momentum

Noel Tata says Trent remains in the early stages of growth and is on track to achieve its goal of becoming 10 times larger in revenue

Walmart maintained cautious annual targets despite strong sales growth, sending its shares down over 7 per cent

Value fashion segment expected to do better driven by same-store sales growth and store additions

Trent reports 20% Q4 revenue growth as like-for-like sales recover, margins expand, and store additions drive performance amid cautious consumer sentiment

Jindal Stainless Ltd on Monday announced its retail foray with the launch of stainless steel rebar Jindal Infinity, marking a strategic extension into the construction value chain. The move will allow the company to directly reach end-consumers, builders and fabricators, moving beyond its traditional B2B model. "Our entry into the retail segment with Jindal Infinity marks a strategic extension of our capabilities into the construction value chain...we aim to bring these advanced solutions closer to the Indian consumer. This is aligned with our larger vision of supporting a quality-first, safer, and more resilient environment,"company's Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal said.' Compared to conventional rebars, stainless steel rebars offer significantly higher resistance to corrosion, including a higher critical chloride threshold, which enhances durability in aggressive environments. "With a growing distributor and dealer network, we are creating the foundation for scale. The initial

Booming air travel and new airports turn terminals into retail hotspots, with brands betting big on premium, high-intent consumers in transit

Bain-Flipkart report highlights strong consumption, rising Gen Z demand and rapid quick-commerce growth, with market poised for sustained expansion

Strong jewellery demand supports retail growth in Q4FY26, though weak consumption trends weigh on segments like apparel, QSR and lifestyle retailers

Leading retail players reported strong double-digit revenue growth in the fourth quarter of FY26 on the back of a stable demand environment and resilient macroeconomic conditions. Listed retail companies as Trent, Avenue Supermarts (D-Mart) and V-Mart, in their recent quarter updates reported around 20 per cent year-on-year growth in their latest quarterly updates, aided by aggressive store additions and steady consumption trends. Trent, a Tata group firm reported around 20 per cent growth in standalone (domestic) revenue to Rs 4,937 crore in the March quarter of FY26. It was at Rs 4,106 crore in the corresponding January-March period a year ago. "Revenue from sale of merchandise (excluding other operating income) grew 21 per cent and 19 per cent during the quarter and the year ended March 2026, respectively," said Trent, which operates popular fashion outlets under the Westside and Zudio retail format. Trent has opened 22 Westside stores and 109 stores of its value retail format o

Leasing declines sequentially amid lack of new mall supply, but demand remains firm, led by malls and key metro markets, says Cushman & Wakefield

Human resource technology in retail works best not when solely relying on advanced systems, but when it helps frontline employees in turning store space into a better customer experience, according to recent research. The findings of the study conducted by researchers from the Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ranchi and the University of Missouri, Kansas City, USA, have been published in the International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. The study found that, considering the social and technological context in which firms operate, their strategic choices shape their HR strategy, which in turn guides technology choices. The research, which comes at a time when Indian retail leaders face pressure from competitors and consultants to digitise human resources and workforce management, shows that simply adopting technologies used by large global retailers often does not work effectively in many retail contexts. "In retail, technology does no

Analysts at Elara Capital, in a note last week, said they expect the retail companies to deliver a revenue growth of 12 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in the quarter

After three years of store rationalisation and pricing corrections, Unlimited's newer stores are now performing in line with core V-Mart outlets.