New Delhi: It’s turning out to be a bumper wedding season for the luxury market, with year-on-year sales expected to go up by 30-50% this year. “The whole premium-to-luxury category is doing well, and we are expecting wedding sales to go up by about 30-40% this year,” said Pushpa Bector, senior executive director and business head of DLF Retail, which owns and operates premium and luxury malls. “It’s going to be a longer wedding season with more dates, and wedding shopping is in full bloom at our malls,” she said.
Bector said there is a more stylised approach to weddings and that consumers aren’t just shopping for brides and grooms anymore.
“There are colour coordinated themes and events for guests as well and the industry is more organised now. Besides apparel and designer wear, we see interest in gifting and other lifestyle categories as well, and we have created entire zones for gifting, showcasing brands such as Baccarat and Jay Strongwater,” she said.
For couturier Rahul Mishra, sales are up by over 50% this season, compared with a year earlier. Interestingly, the categories of cocktail dresses and evening gowns have seen a big rise this season, said Mishra. “We are also seeing more requests for the concept saree or the saree-gown style. We’re also expanding our menswear offerings significantly by including more silhouettes and options on the retail floor,” he added.
Price wise, gold has been very unpredictable, but demand has been steady for the wedding season with average billings going up this year, driven by a preference for larger, bespoke creations, said Jaipur-based jeweller Sunita Shekhawat. Clients are increasingly drawn to intricate, design-forward pieces, she said.
Brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Bvlgari are focusing more on the Indian wedding market now, Saurabh Bharara, VP and business head for DLF Luxury Malls, had told ET last month. It’s the biggest opportunity this year, with the wedding season seeing more auspicious dates, according to him.
Celebrations are becoming more elaborate, and that has naturally driven up demand for bridal couture pieces and sarees, said fashion designer Jayanti Reddy.
“There is a clear rise in both enquiries and conversions compared to last year. Our occasion wear, typically in the under ₹2 lakh range, still contributes to a majority of overall sales, but our average billings have increased by around 15-20% in the past two months following the launch of our new couture collection,” said Reddy. “In the bridal couture category, pieces featuring handcrafted textiles, antique zardozi and reimagined heritage embroideries have done exceptionally well.”
Sanskriti Gupta, spokesperson for luxury chocolate brand Laderach India, said she expects a 7-8% uptick in gifting-led sales this wedding season.
