Navratri sales hit 10-year high on GST cuts: Officials – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: On the back of a fillip provided by a reduction in GST on 375 items, Indian consumers flocked to stores and car dealerships resulting in the highest Navratri sales in over a decade, govt officials said, citing industry data.They argued that the move lowered prices, helping families upgrade vehicles, buy white goods and spend more freely on lifestyle products, “turning festive cheer into record-breaking consumption”.

GST rates for food items, daily-use products, white goods, cement and automobiles have been slashed as the Centre and the states agreed to reduce the number of slabs and end cess on all luxury and sin products, barring tobacco. Apart from making the indirect tax regime simpler, the idea was to boost consumption, even if it resulted in a temporary impact on tax collections.

Car sales vroom

“By rationalising GST slabs and easing the tax burden on both essential and aspirational items, govt fostered an environment of confident spending. As a result, brands and retailers reported sales growth ranging from 25% to 100%, marking a major boost for India’s consumption-driven economy,” an official said.

GST reset, pent-up demand driving sales over last 10 days

Although companies had complained about an adverse impact on sales after PM Narendra Modi first announced the plan for GST rate rationalisation in his Independence Day speech, collections in Sept – based on transactions in Aug – grew at over 9%, the fastest pace of growth in four months, according to the data released on Wednesday.While goods and services are more affordable, especially after govt nudged businesses to pass on the benefits to consumers, pent up demand is also a factor behind a surge in sales over the last 10 days.As a result, companies such as Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest carmaker, reported 3.5 lakh bookings with nearly 2.5 lakh pending orders. By the end of Navratri, it was expected to deliver 2 lakh vehicles, 2.3 times last year’s level of 85,000 cars. Similarly, M&M has reported a 60% jump in its top selling XUV700 and Scorpio N sales, while demand for Hyundai’s Creta and Venue are also seen to be strong.In the consumer electronics space, companies and top retailers are reporting significant rise in sales.