NEW DELHI: It is turning out to be bonanza time for consumers as companies, ranging from apparels to car manufacturers, woo them with attractive discounts ahead of the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) next month.
“Consumers are aware of the fact that prices may go up once GST sets in. Also, discounts across stores have come to their notice. Most of consumers are coming here to seek special pre-GST discounts. Footfall has gone up by 25 per cent and sales by over 30 per cent”, a Vijay Sales executive said.
While apparel manufacturers are trying to liquidate old stock ahead of the new tax regime, automobile companies are attempting to draw buyers to showrooms with attractive limited period discounts of up to Rs 2.5 lakh across a range of vehicles sold in the country.
Brands such as Levi’s, Reebok and Woodland are currently on a clearance mode offering high discounts.
“The retailers do not want to keep much of stock because the remaining stock will move to the GST regime and the margins would then vary. No brand can sell the entire stock before July 1 but they are trying to do the maximum,” Woodland Worldwide MD Harkirat Singh told PTI.
He said the GST has come just ahead of the usual seasonal discount and the brands have slightly advanced their offers.
Amazon has been running a sale event with discounts of 40-50%, for mainly consumer electronics and home appliances.
Mukesh Saluja, a 35-year-old executive from Mumbai, who recently bought a new TV during a pre-GST sale at a store, said, “When you get a Rs 1-lakh TV for less than Rs 60,000, you cannot help but tell your friends to go for it. This is the best time to shop.”
An employee at an exclusive store of Levi’s here at the Capital said the company sent instructions to “clear old stock by offering these discounts as soon as possible because of the GST”.
Levi’s is offering buy-two get-two scheme on most of its items. Similarly, footwear majors Reebok and Bata are also offering up to 50 per cent discount.
Future group multibrand retail format Central’s Chief of Marketing & Head of Customer Loyalty Jitendranath Patri said discounts had also been offered by keeping Ramzan shopping in mind.
The GST Council has decided to tax man-made apparel up to Rs 1,000 at 5 per cent, while those costing above Rs 1,000, will attract 12 per cent. At present, the total tax incidence is around 8 per cent depending upon the states.
On the automobile front, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, Mahindra and Mahindra and Ford India have all come out with different schemes that are valid for June only.
Dealers of the country’s largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki are offering discounts between Rs 25,000 and Rs 35,000. Similarly, M&M is offering benefits ranging between Rs 27,000 on Scorpio to Rs 90,000 on XUV500 till June 30.
Industry analysts said the companies have been forced to come up with the discounts as potential customers have held back on purchases expecting prices to come down after the implementation of GST.
Under the GST rates, cars will attract the top rate of 28 per cent with a cess in the range of 1-15 per cent on top of it.
German luxury car maker Audi has slashed prices of its models in India by up to Rs 10 lakh till June 30. Rival BMW also said it is offering “benefits up to 12 per cent” on ex- showroom prices that include GST benefits.
Besides, Mercedes Benz has announced the reduction of prices of its vehicles produced in India by up to Rs 7 lakh. Tata- Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has cut prices of select models by up to Rs 10.9 lakh.
In the two-wheeler space, niche bike maker Royal Enfield is pre-emptively extending the GST benefits to its customers while Bajaj Auto has also announced the reduction in prices of its motorcycles by up to Rs 4,500 to pass on the expected benefit of GST to customers.
PTI inputs