India might be be adopting many of the consumption pattens of the west, but it’s tweaking them to its own culture.
Sugar Cosmetics CEO Vineeta Singh has said that her company sells more cosmetics on Karwa Chauth than on Valentine’s day. She also said that they made their highest sales during the year on Karwa Chauth. “Our biggest day every year is not Valentine’s Day or Black Friday,” she wrote on Linkedin. “It’s actually the day before Karwachauth. We sold products worth 4 cr yesterday and worth 75 cr in October! Love witnessing the action every Karwachauth and while I’m at it, selling some lipsticks too!” she added.
Singh also added a picture of the sales during Karwa Chauth. “This is a general trade store in Ludhiana at 6:30pm. Peak rush hour is at 1am and it’s all women! Bharat rocks!,” she added.
Karwa Chauth is a Hindu festival, predominantly celebrated in North India, during which married women observe a fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. The festival was brought to the mainstream by soap operas over the last couple of decades, but is more popular in small towns and villages than in big cities.
It’s also an occasion when women dress up, and they’re clearly also buying cosmetics in droves. Cosmetics brands have also been quick to respond to the phenomenon, and have been promoting cosmetics products on Karwa Chauth. And now a prominent brand has gone ahead and said that Karwa Chauth is its biggest day of the year, and outsells even Valentine’s day.
This is a trend that will likely spill over into many industries. Until now, most purchasing power in India was limited to large metros, but smaller towns and villages are increasingly catching up, and are bringing with them their own spending patterns and habits. And as India’s economy grows over the next few decades, India’s consumption patterns also also soon begin mirroring those of the majority of India which lives outside its biggest metros.