Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : This was supposed to be the summer that brought the heat—and a surge in sales for India’s biggest consumer brands. After a sluggish period of low rural demand, companies selling everything from air conditioners to cold drinks were betting big on a scorching summer to get customers spending again. They ramped up production, filled their warehouses, and waited for the cash registers to ring.
But the weather had other plans.
Instead of a relentless, nationwide heatwave, large parts of India experienced a bizarrely cool and wet summer. Unseasonal rains and fluctuating temperatures, particularly in the southern, western, and eastern regions, threw a wrench in the works. While North India sweltered as expected, the unpredictable weather elsewhere meant one thing: people weren't rushing out to buy products designed to beat the heat.
This has created a major headache for consumer goods giants. Companies like Voltas, Blue Star, and Havells, which dominate the cooling appliance market, are now sitting on mountains of unsold air conditioners, coolers, and fans. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted a hotter-than-normal summer, leading these firms to expect sales growth of 20-25%. The reality, according to industry analysts, is a disappointing single-digit increase.
It’s the same story for the beverage and ice cream industries. Major players like Varun Beverages (PepsiCo’s largest bottler in India), Dabur (maker of Real juice), and others have seen demand fizzle out. The crucial March-to-June quarter, which can account for nearly half of their annual sales, has been a significant letdown.
The immediate consequence is an inventory nightmare. With warehouses full of products that are now out of season, companies face a tough choice. To clear these stockpiles, they will likely have to slash prices and offer heavy discounts. While this might tempt some last-minute buyers, it comes at a steep cost, eating directly into their profit margins and hurting their financial performance for the quarter.
For these companies, the unseasonable summer isn't just a missed opportunity; it's a financial blow that compounds existing economic pressures. After hoping for a summer sales boom to revive their fortunes, they are now left managing a surplus of stock and rethinking their strategies. As the season winds down, many are simply hoping for a final, intense heatwave to salvage what has been, for business, a surprisingly cold summer.
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