Apparel industry is gearing up for a robust festival season supported by positive consumer sentiment despite inflationary pressures amid an uncertain geopolitical environment. Players expect the longer festival season, compared to last year, to also provide a tailwind for the sector. For organised apparel players, festival season is critical, accounting for 35-40 per cent of their annual sales.
Bhavay Pruthi, SVP – E-commerce & Product Management, Libas, said the company expects to garner growth to the tune of 20-25 per cent year-on-year.
“While inflationary pressures continue to influence consumer spending, we are seeing consumers remain willing to spend during key festive occasions, particularly on products that offer a strong value proposition. The longer festive window is also expected to provide a positive tailwind and allow retailers and brands to engage consumers across multiple occasions rather than concentrating demand around a few peak days,” he added.
Pruthi noted that while consumers are becoming increasingly value-conscious, festive spending remains aspirational, with consumers willing to trade up for products and experiences that they perceive as meaningful or premium.
Ajay Kapoor, President – Retail, Fabindia, said, “Consumers had been holding back on discretionary spending amid geopolitical uncertainties, but market indicators have been encouraging, and we expect high single-digit growth during the festive period. Onam has been decent for us and the projections for Puja in the East are also positive. We expect this momentum to continue across markets as the festival season progresses.”
Akhil Jain, CEO, Madame, said the company is expecting to garner 15-20 per cent year-on-year growth during the period, supported by a longer shopping window and improving consumer sentiment. “What we are seeing is a more value-conscious but not value-averse consumer. Customers are still willing to spend on fashion, but they are looking for stronger reasons to buy, whether that is versatility, quality, newness or the relevance of the product to an occasion. We are also seeing consumers start their festival shopping earlier, with greater digital discovery, followed by store visits and purchases,” he added. Jain said the brand is preparing for the festival season with “sharper occasion-led collections, stronger newness across categories and a more agile inventory approach.”
A spokesperson for Myntra said that early trends during Raksha Bandhan and Onam have set the tone for the festival season and as it gathers pace, the platform is witnessing a strong momentum across fashion, beauty, jewellery and gifting.
Published on October 7, 2026
