As the festive season of 2024 approaches, quick service restaurants (QSRs), café chains, bakeries, and snack brands across India are͏͏ gearing͏͏ up͏͏ for͏͏ a͏͏ rise͏͏ in͏͏ demand,͏͏ despite͏͏ the͏͏ noticeable͏͏ impact͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ economic͏͏ downturn͏͏ on͏͏ the͏͏ industry͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ last͏͏ quarter.
The͏͏ festive͏͏ season͏͏ in͏͏ India͏͏ begins͏͏ around͏͏ mid-August͏͏ with͏͏ Raksha͏͏ Bandhan͏͏ and͏͏ continues͏͏ through͏͏ celebrations͏͏ like͏͏ Ganesh͏͏ Chaturthi,͏͏ Onam,͏͏ Dussehra,͏͏ Diwali,͏͏ and͏͏ Christmas,͏͏ culminating͏͏ in͏͏ New͏͏ Year’s͏͏ festivities.͏͏ This͏͏ period͏͏ is͏͏ typically͏͏ characterised͏͏ by͏͏ increased͏͏ consumer͏͏ spending,͏͏ providing͏͏ a͏͏ prime͏͏ opportunity͏͏ for͏͏ companies͏͏ to͏͏ enhance͏͏ sales͏͏ and͏͏ customer͏͏ engagement.͏͏ For͏͏ numerous͏͏ brands,͏͏ this͏͏ season͏͏ accounts͏͏ for͏͏ nearly͏͏ 30%͏͏ of͏͏ their͏͏ annual͏͏ sales͏͏ and͏͏ approximately͏͏ 60%͏͏ of͏͏ their͏͏ marketing͏͏ expenditures,͏͏ according͏͏ to͏͏ media͏͏ reports.
Brands͏͏ Prepare͏͏ for͏͏ Sales͏͏ Surge͏͏ with͏͏ Special͏͏ Menus͏͏ and͏͏ Promotions:
After͏͏ months͏͏ of͏͏ sluggish͏͏ demand,͏͏ brands͏͏ are͏͏ counting͏͏ on͏͏ the͏͏ festive͏͏ season͏͏ to͏͏ revitalise͏͏ their͏͏ business.͏͏ From͏͏ launching͏͏ special͏͏ festive͏͏ menus͏͏ to͏͏ enhancing͏͏ delivery͏͏ services,͏͏ food͏͏ and͏͏ beverage͏͏ companies͏͏ are͏͏ making͏͏ every͏͏ effort͏͏ to͏͏ meet͏͏ the͏͏ preferences͏͏ of͏͏ festive͏͏ shoppers.
Ice͏͏ cream͏͏ chain͏͏ Baskin͏͏ Robbins,͏͏ which͏͏ has͏͏ recently͏͏ achieved͏͏ the͏͏ milestone͏͏ of͏͏ 1,000͏͏ stores͏͏ in͏͏ India͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ South͏͏ Asian͏͏ region,͏͏ has͏͏ introduced͏͏ a͏͏ variety͏͏ of͏͏ new͏͏ flavours͏͏ to͏͏ celebrate͏͏ the͏͏ season.
“The͏͏ most͏͏ effective͏͏ sales͏͏ strategy͏͏ involves͏͏ launching͏͏ a͏͏ product͏͏ that͏͏ customers͏͏ adore͏͏ and͏͏ can’t͏͏ resist,”͏͏ stated͏͏ Mohit͏͏ Khattar,͏͏ CEO͏͏ of͏͏ Graviss͏͏ Foods͏͏ Pvt.͏͏ Ltd.,͏͏ the͏͏ exclusive͏͏ licensee͏͏ of͏͏ Baskin͏͏ Robbins͏͏ in͏͏ India͏͏ and͏͏ several͏͏ other͏͏ regions.͏͏ “Staying͏͏ true͏͏ to͏͏ this͏͏ principle,͏͏ we͏͏ focus͏͏ on͏͏ creating͏͏ unique͏͏ products͏͏ that͏͏ customers͏͏ won’t͏͏ find͏͏ anywhere͏͏ else.”
This͏͏ season͏͏ is͏͏ expected͏͏ to͏͏ witness͏͏ significant͏͏ activity͏͏ on͏͏ quick͏͏ commerce͏͏ platforms,͏͏ as͏͏ customers͏͏ prioritise͏͏ convenience͏͏ for͏͏ last-minute͏͏ gifting.͏͏ This͏͏ trend͏͏ was͏͏ evident͏͏ during͏͏ this͏͏ year’s͏͏ Raksha͏͏ Bandhan,͏͏ when͏͏ Blinkit͏͏ sold͏͏ around͏͏ 700͏͏ rakhis͏͏ every͏͏ minute.
Continue͏͏ Exploring:͏͏ Hyperlocal͏͏ food͏͏ &͏͏ beverage͏͏ brands͏͏ scale͏͏ up͏͏ presence͏͏ on͏͏ quick͏͏ commerce͏͏ to͏͏ capture͏͏ festive͏͏ season͏͏ demand
According͏͏ to͏͏ media͏͏ reports,͏͏ these͏͏ platforms͏͏ are͏͏ ramping͏͏ up͏͏ their͏͏ 24×7͏͏ delivery͏͏ services͏͏ to͏͏ cater͏͏ to͏͏ consumer͏͏ demand,͏͏ even͏͏ during͏͏ the͏͏ early͏͏ hours.
Barista͏͏ Strengthens͏͏ Hyperlocal͏͏ Delivery͏͏ with͏͏ New͏͏ Partnerships:
Eager͏͏ to͏͏ capitalise͏͏ on͏͏ the͏͏ last-minute͏͏ shopping͏͏ frenzy,͏͏ brands͏͏ are͏͏ ensuring͏͏ their͏͏ availability͏͏ on͏͏ these͏͏ platforms.͏͏ Homegrown͏͏ coffee͏͏ chain͏͏ Barista͏͏ Coffee͏͏ has͏͏ enhanced͏͏ its͏͏ presence͏͏ on͏͏ hyperlocal͏͏ services͏͏ like͏͏ Swiggy͏͏ Dineout͏͏ and͏͏ MagicPin.
Barista͏͏ has͏͏ partnered͏͏ with͏͏ DreamFolks͏͏ to͏͏ provide͏͏ complimentary͏͏ food͏͏ and͏͏ beverage͏͏ combos͏͏ to͏͏ credit͏͏ and͏͏ debit͏͏ cardholders͏͏ at͏͏ select͏͏ Barista͏͏ cafés.
Barista͏͏ has͏͏ partnered͏͏ with͏͏ DreamFolks͏͏ to͏͏ provide͏͏ complimentary͏͏ food͏͏ and͏͏ beverage͏͏ combos͏͏ to͏͏ credit͏͏ and͏͏ debit͏͏ cardholders͏͏ at͏͏ select͏͏ Barista͏͏ cafés.
Personalised͏͏ offerings͏͏ are͏͏ particularly͏͏ impactful͏͏ during͏͏ the͏͏ festive͏͏ season,͏͏ as͏͏ they͏͏ resonate͏͏ with͏͏ both͏͏ emotional͏͏ and͏͏ cultural͏͏ significance.͏͏ Brands͏͏ have͏͏ capitalised͏͏ on͏͏ this͏͏ for͏͏ years,͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ rise͏͏ of͏͏ quick͏͏ commerce͏͏ has͏͏ made͏͏ these͏͏ offerings͏͏ even͏͏ more͏͏ accessible.͏͏ Customers͏͏ can͏͏ now͏͏ order͏͏ customised͏͏ products,͏͏ packaging,͏͏ or͏͏ experiences͏͏ tailored͏͏ to͏͏ their͏͏ preferences͏͏ and͏͏ receive͏͏ them͏͏ within͏͏ minutes.
Continue͏͏ Exploring:͏͏ INR͏͏ 1.25͏͏ Lakh͏͏ Cr͏͏ Industry͏͏ to͏͏ Skyrocket͏͏ This͏͏ Festive͏͏ Season:͏͏ Mithai͏͏ and͏͏ Namkeen͏͏ Expert͏͏ Forecasts͏͏ Growth͏͏ Amid͏͏ Innovation͏͏ Surge
Bakingo͏͏ Embraces͏͏ Personalisation͏͏ for͏͏ Sales͏͏ Growth:
Bakingo,͏͏ an͏͏ online͏͏ dessert͏͏ brand͏͏ renowned͏͏ for͏͏ its͏͏ cakes͏͏ and͏͏ pastries͏͏ delivered͏͏ in͏͏ under͏͏ two͏͏ hours,͏͏ is͏͏ providing͏͏ curated͏͏ recommendations͏͏ and͏͏ embracing͏͏ a͏͏ personalised͏͏ approach͏͏ for͏͏ much͏͏ of͏͏ its͏͏ merchandise͏͏ in͏͏ an͏͏ effort͏͏ to͏͏ boost͏͏ sales͏͏ significantly.
F&B͏͏ Brands͏͏ Target͏͏ Strong͏͏ Festive͏͏ Sales:
Food͏͏ and͏͏ beverage͏͏ brands͏͏ are͏͏ optimistic͏͏ about͏͏ a͏͏ surge͏͏ in͏͏ sales͏͏ this͏͏ festive͏͏ season.
“With͏͏ an͏͏ emphasis͏͏ on͏͏ improved͏͏ customer͏͏ engagement͏͏ through͏͏ promotions͏͏ and͏͏ partnerships͏͏ for͏͏ quicker͏͏ delivery,͏͏ we͏͏ are͏͏ confident͏͏ in͏͏ achieving͏͏ substantial͏͏ traction͏͏ during͏͏ the͏͏ festive͏͏ season,”͏͏ stated͏͏ CEO͏͏ Rajat͏͏ Agrawal.
“We͏͏ are͏͏ targeting͏͏ a͏͏ 20-25%͏͏ increase͏͏ in͏͏ overall͏͏ sales͏͏ compared͏͏ to͏͏ the͏͏ same͏͏ period͏͏ last͏͏ year.”
Luxury͏͏ chocolate͏͏ brand͏͏ Smoor͏͏ expects͏͏ an͏͏ increase͏͏ in͏͏ gifting͏͏ orders͏͏ this͏͏ season.͏͏ The͏͏ company͏͏ is͏͏ offering͏͏ customisable͏͏ gift͏͏ hampers͏͏ and͏͏ chocolate͏͏ boxes,͏͏ available͏͏ online͏͏ and͏͏ in-store,͏͏ along͏͏ with͏͏ special͏͏ discounts͏͏ on͏͏ bulk͏͏ corporate͏͏ orders͏͏ and͏͏ early-bird͏͏ deals͏͏ for͏͏ customers͏͏ ordering͏͏ through͏͏ quick͏͏ commerce͏͏ platforms͏͏ and͏͏ smoor.in.
“We͏͏ aim͏͏ to͏͏ boost͏͏ our͏͏ gifting͏͏ orders͏͏ and͏͏ expand͏͏ our͏͏ repeat͏͏ customer͏͏ base,”͏͏ said͏͏ Vimal͏͏ Sharma,͏͏ founder͏͏ of͏͏ Smoor.͏͏ “We͏͏ are͏͏ targeting͏͏ robust͏͏ sales͏͏ growth͏͏ of͏͏ approximately͏͏ 50-60%͏͏ this͏͏ season,͏͏ driven͏͏ by͏͏ our͏͏ expansion͏͏ into͏͏ tier-two͏͏ cities.͏͏ Consequently,͏͏ we͏͏ expect͏͏ a͏͏ 10-20%͏͏ increase͏͏ in͏͏ festive͏͏ revenue͏͏ compared͏͏ to͏͏ last͏͏ year.”
Mumbai-based͏͏ ice͏͏ cream͏͏ chain͏͏ Naturals͏͏ is͏͏ targeting͏͏ double-digit͏͏ growth͏͏ this͏͏ season͏͏ and͏͏ is͏͏ also͏͏ expecting͏͏ a͏͏ rise͏͏ in͏͏ bulk͏͏ orders.͏͏ “Given͏͏ the͏͏ increasing͏͏ demand͏͏ for͏͏ bulk͏͏ orders͏͏ during͏͏ this͏͏ period,͏͏ we͏͏ anticipate͏͏ a͏͏ substantial͏͏ boost͏͏ in͏͏ sales͏͏ volume͏͏ and͏͏ a͏͏ significant͏͏ increase͏͏ in͏͏ revenue͏͏ compared͏͏ to͏͏ last͏͏ year,”͏͏ said͏͏ Siddhant͏͏ Kamath,͏͏ director͏͏ of͏͏ Naturals.
Bakingo͏͏ is͏͏ aiming͏͏ for͏͏ a͏͏ remarkable͏͏ 60%͏͏ growth͏͏ compared͏͏ to͏͏ last͏͏ year.͏͏ “With͏͏ our͏͏ expansion͏͏ into͏͏ new͏͏ cities͏͏ and͏͏ a͏͏ strong͏͏ emphasis͏͏ on͏͏ scaling͏͏ operations,͏͏ we͏͏ anticipate͏͏ a͏͏ substantial͏͏ increase͏͏ in͏͏ order͏͏ volumes,”͏͏ said͏͏ Himanshu͏͏ Chawla,͏͏ co-founder͏͏ of͏͏ Bakingo.
