It's Diwali, lights, glitter -- and gifts galore

It's Diwali again and like every year it's about so many gifts to give and such a bewildering variety to choose from. There's the acceptable dinner set and the chic candle stand, the new-age beauty hamper and the gourmet food basket, the useful mobile phone and bluetooth speaker, and, of course, the good old box of chocolates, bottle of wine and trusted "mithai".

Rich or not so much, this is the one occasion in the calendar when most people exchange gifts, going the extra mile -- quite literally -- to ensure that it reaches in time. And so, notwithstanding a slowdown in the economy, the roads are jammed and shops chock-a-block as people push their way through crowds to grab just the right gift before it runs out of stock.

Uma Anand, for instance, spent some three hours at the Home Centre in Pacific Mall recently to pick up a range of Diwali decor items such as tea lights, designer lanterns and figurines of Laxmi and Ganesh to be sent to her family and friends. "This gifting culture is an integral part of Diwali. This is our creation and there is no way you can get out of it... you get gifts, you are bound to return the favour in cash or kind.

"The art lies in not going out of budget though," the 53-year-old said as she navigated her loaded trolley through crowded aisles, resisting the temptation to add a couple of flower vases. The business and trade lobby could not be happier.

"Festive numbers have been good, sales wise as well as footfall numbers ... the buying patterns have changed but the quantum seems to be increasing," said Arjun Gehlot, director, Ambience Malls. Malls across the city are showering their customers with generous discounts.

According to Gehlot, the electronics section in particular is witnessing a "good upswing". People can be also be seen ditching conventional gift choices such as bed linen and crockery sets, and picking up smart watches and fitness bands, mixer grinders, juicers, and ovens.

Gifting an "experience" is a new trend this Diwali. Instead of dropping off a package at their loved ones' homes, many have decided to gift them a break from their hectic lives by booking them an exclusive staycation, a swimming or a workout session, or a luxurious spa at five-star hotels.

Hotel Crowne Plaza in Rohini, for instance, has on offer a host of innovative salon and spa treats starting from Rs 1,500, while the Westin Sohna Resort & Spa has curated an exclusive staycation package for Diwali at a discounted price of Rs 9,999. "Diwali is all about revelry and it's a great idea to spend quality time with loved ones amidst lush greenery and escape the urban chaos and pollution.

"The package is specially curated with a plethora of festive offerings -- like diya lighting ceremony, campfires, rangoli making and sky lanterns -- and experience a different Diwali," said Anoop Pandey, general manager, The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa. Like everything else, the online sector has also managed to penetrate the Diwali gifting segment with people getting gifts delivered not just to those living in the city, but also to those living outside.

The discounts are enticing, and the inconvenience minimum. Snapdeal has discounts ranging from "20-80 per cent" on sarees and kurta pyjamas, small kitchen gadgets below Rs 1,000, pooja items, and personal use gadgets.

"Our sales have grown more than 50 per cent over last year's Diwali sales ... Also, more than 90 per cent of the orders received were from non-metro locations. "There has been a multi-fold increase in orders received from smaller cities. The increase in volumes from smaller cities was a pan-India trend," said a Snapdeal spokesperson.

Also scoring high on the convenience meter are digital gift cards. They are not just hassle free for the ones gifting, but also allow the recipients the freedom of choice.

Popular giftcards include those of Lifestyle, Croma, Shoppers Stop and The LuxePass, besides those of online portals like Amazon and Flipkart. The corporate sector relies heavily on gift cards as Diwali presents for its employees.

Gyftr, which offers digital gift vouchers from leading brands across various categories to big corporations including IBM, Accenture, Michelin, HP and Genpact, said it registered a "double digit year-on-year growth" in the number of gift vouchers issued and redeemed during the current festive season. "The corporate gifting space has conventionally been restricted to either cash bonuses or some gift pre-decided by the HR department.

"This approach has become outdated today, particularly because the workforce is now increasingly dominated by the digitally-driven and empowered millennials and post-millennials," said Puja Punj, co-founder, GyFTR. In the view of Select City Walk Mall CEO Yogeshwar Sharma, the assumption that the season of great Indian gifting has not been "affected by the economic slowdown" is incorrect.

The numbers are picking up, but the pace is slow, he said. "Fashion has done okay, there is no de-growth in that area, but higher end brands have certainly suffered.

"I understand people can't not shop for very long, and that the numbers will eventually pick up, but the overall picture is not very very positive," Sharma said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)