Retail sales down 79 percent in May

According to a survey by the Retailers Association of India (RAI), retail sales in India last month declined by 79 per cent from the sales recorded in the pre-Covid period of May 2019. There has been a decline due to the lockdown in the states amid the second wave of COVID-19.

With sales down 34 per cent in May 2021, categories such as food and grocery led the way compared to categories like footwear (-86 per cent), beauty, wellness and personal care (-87 per cent) and sporting goods (-80 per cent). performed better.

Retailers across regions are showing a deep decline in sales with South India at -73 per cent in May 2021 as compared to pre-COVID sales in May 2019. -75 per cent in the eastern region, while the western and northern regions have indicated. Sales were -83 per cent in May 2021 as compared to May 2019.

The RAI statement said that many states have now gradually started opening all types of retail in a calibrated manner.

Commenting on the current state of the retail industry, Retailers Association of India (RAI) CEO Kumar Rajagopalan said, retailers are expecting some improvement with the gradual unlocking in the month of June. However, the retail industry needs the collective support of various government bodies to deal with the current situation.