Retail Sales At 72 Per Cent Of Pre Pandemic Levels

With the gradual lifting of lockdowns across several states, retail sales in India have improved and in July 2021, they stood at 72 percent of the pre-pandemic levels of July 2019, according to a survey by the Retailers Association of India (RAI).

In June, the retail sales stood at 50 percent of the pre-pandemic levels.

In a statement, the retailers’ body noted that retail businesses in the southern part of India have indicated a very sharp comeback in July 2021 with sales at 82 percent of the pre-pandemic levels.

The western region is yet to improve and has indicated sales at 57 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

This is mainly because of prolonged curbs in Maharashtra that disrupted the smooth functioning of modern retail in the state, it said.

In categories, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) recovered the best in July 2021 with sales at 97 percent of the pre-pandemic levels (July 2019).

However, the beauty & wellness segment, which includes salons, is still at 50 percent of pre-pandemic sales, while apparel is at 63 percent sales of the pre-pandemic levels in July 2021.

Kumar Rajagopalan, the CEO of, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said: “There is a possibility of significant sales recovery for retail businesses as the festive season approaches, provided restrictions on modern retail are relaxed across the country allowing smooth operations and return to normalcy.”