Brick and mortar retailers take to discounts

The average discount offered by offline retailers has increased in the last few years. Offline retailers like retail chains and department stores are offering around 30 per cent discount, up from around 15 to 20 per cent a couple of years ago.

This is to counter the significant discounts offered by online retailers. Offline retailers are competing with online retailers in upcoming end of season and festive sales.

US-based apparel brand Gap, which has partnered with Arvind Lifestyle in India, has offered a 60 per cent discount on the purchase of five items in their Bangalore market. Shoppers Stop was providing consumers who bought Wrogn products worth Rs 5,000 an opportunity to meet cricketer Virat Kohli with an additional discount voucher of Rs 1,000.

Indian apparel brand Numero Uno is carrying out promotional offers to keep their customers involved like gift coupons, merchandise and discount vouchers. TCNS, which runs women’s ethnic and Indo-fusion brands such as W, Aurelia and Wishful, is also providing promotional offers to customers.

However, e-commerce giants come up with their special sales at least twice a year and offer discounts at regular intervals. Whether brick and mortar stores can go to that extent is yet to be seen.