Retail sales in India declined by 50 per cent in June due to the continued restrictions in the wake of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, as compared to the same month in 2019 before the health crisis hit, according to industry body RAI.
In its latest business survey, the Retailers Association of India (RAI) said the highest decline was witnessed in the sports goods category at 66 per cent, while foods and grocery had the least with a dip of just 7 per cent as compared to June 2019.
"Retail businesses continue to be stressed and are finding it difficult to sustain due to restricted timing of operations and weekend closures," RAI Chief Executive Officer Kumar Rajagopalan said in a statement.
In terms of region, RAI said the East zone witnessed the biggest decline in June this year at 55 per cent, followed by West and South with declines of 50 per cent each and North with a dip of 43 per cent when compared to June 2019.
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However, the June performance was far better compared to May when the overall retail business in India declined by 79 per cent as compared to the same month in 2019.
Showing signs of recovery, the beauty, wellness, and personal care category had a dip of 57 per cent in June as compared to the same month in 2019. In May, the category had a decline of 87 per cent as against May 2019.
Similarly, apparel and clothing dipped by 52 per cent in June this year as against the same month in 2019. In May, it had negative growth of 77 per cent as compared to May 2019.
Footwear also recovered slightly with a 61 per cent decline in June. It had a degrowth of 86 per cent in May when compared to the same month in 2019.
Consumer durables and electronics had a decline of 46 per cent in June as compared to the same month in 2019. The segment had posted a dip of 71 per cent in May as compared to May 2019.
Quick service restaurants, which saw a decline of 70 per cent in May as compared to the same month in 2019, had a degrowth of 10 per cent last month as compared to June 2019, RAI said.
