Retail sales were sluggish with a "discouraging trend" in January as most categories witnessed minimal growth, according to Retailers Association of India.
Sales increased 5% compared to the same period last year. Categories other than jewellery, food, and grocery saw little growth, a survey by the association showed.
"Most retailers have stated that they have witnessed negative growth on a like-for-like basis," Chief Executive Officer Kumar Rajagopalan said.
States in the East and South regions saw negative growth, with weak consumer demand for discretionary products, he said.
Key Highlights
Retail sales grew 5% in January over the previous year.
Food grocery and jewellery reported a growth of 9% each.
Sales of sports goods grew by 8% and beauty grew by 6%.
Sales of consumer durables fell 1%.
Apparel sales grew 2% despite January being a discount-heavy season.
Furniture and furnishing sales grew 3%.
Footwear sales grew 4%.
North and South India indicated a growth of 5% each, followed by East India with a 3% growth.
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