Durga Puja 2026 is driving huge spending in Bengal, but the gains are uneven: big retailers thrive while small traders struggle.

Footfall is visibly high across the state’s markets and malls during the festival’s peak days in Kolkata.

Malls, big-format retailers and e-commerce platforms report steady demand for apparel, footwear and consumer durables.

Early festive sales after the recent GST rationalisation lifted online platforms, with premium phones, TVs and appliances in demand.

Street-food vendors and hawkers face sharply higher prices for cooking gas, edible oil and raw materials, thinning profits per plate.

Shoppers in traditional bazaars are spending more selectively, bargaining harder and comparing prices across platforms.

Heavy pre-Puja rain also shortened the selling window for outdoor stalls and markets this season.

Puja committees report tighter budgets, with trackers estimating a significant dip in corporate sponsorship; the state extended grants to smaller ones.

Read the full article for more details on Durga Puja business in Bengal.