As COVID-19 cases have begun to witness a sharp rise after an initial dip, consumers are expected to keep away from visiting shopping malls or large marketplaces for Diwali shopping including apparels and other festive essentials.
According to a recent survey by Local Circles, a community social media platform, about 66 per cent consumers are more likely to opt for local markets for festive shopping.
The survey also underlined that only around 20 per cent consumers are expected to visit main markets for festive shopping this time around.
So far as those keen to visit shopping malls are concerned, only 16 per cent have shown interest.
Quite obviously, this gives new hopes to local brands and retailers to see higher consumer footfalls this season, the survey highlighted.
A total of 16,000 people participated in the survey, out of which 61 per cent were from Tier-1 cities, 27 per cent from Tier-2 cities and 12 per cent from Tier-3, Tier-4 and rural districts.
While nearly 65 per cent respondents were men, 35 per cent comprised women.
The pandemic has also led to a surge in online sales as consumers prefer safer platforms for shopping. Most consumers have already made their festive purchases when e-commerce retailers organised online sale events last month.
