Bangladesh apparel retailers report Durga Puja sales rise

Bangladesh has had annual inflation above 8% for more than four years, and merchants said that squeeze was visible in basket sizes. Rangan chief executive Souমিক Das said sales at the fashion house rose about 5%, below the 10% he had expected, as some customers who previously bought two outfits purchased only one.

Anjan’s owner Shahীন Ahmed said sales climbed about 10% from a year earlier, while Embrayer’s sales and marketing head Kazi Maktum Shovon also reported around 5% growth, citing stronger demand for women’s matching outfits during the holiday period. Yellow marketing executive Asad Kabir said business was “fairly good,” though shorter outlet hours weighed on results.

The data points to a consumer market that is still functioning but remains constrained. Bangladesh retailers do not publish official festive sales figures, yet industry participants estimate Durga Puja accounts for about 10% of annual apparel sales, behind the two Eids, which together make up roughly 70%.

For investors, the takeaway is that festive retail is holding up better than broader discretionary spending, but not enough to suggest a clean demand recovery. Branded apparel chains may still benefit from holiday traffic and promotional activity, while premium categories such as sweets showed more strain, with Premium Sweets saying sales did not improve and restaurant traffic displaced some purchases.

The next test comes with the rest of the festive season and broader household spending into year-end, when retailers will be watching whether inflation eases enough to restore bigger baskets or whether consumers keep trading down.