Month: September 2026

Golden Quarter, Fragile Margins: The Commerce Behind Kolkata’s Grandest Stage

Column, Retail, Retail Metrics / By

Executive Summary: Durga Puja is West Bengal’s largest working-capital event. In roughly 45 days, retailers, artisans, and brands compress what British Council India’s benchmark study once valued at ₹32,377 crore (2.58% of GSDP) into a liquidity spike now estimated by CWBTA and BCC&I at ₹60,000–65,000 crore, with Kolkata contributing nearly 70% of transactions. This is …

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Why Digital-First Brands are Betting Big on Offline Retail in the East

Column, Company & Brand, Fashion / By

The pure-play e-commerce model that built India’s D2C wave is running into a cost problem. Digital customer acquisition costs have climbed steadily as platforms compete for the same paid-search and social media inventory, pushing brands to look for channels that acquire customers more efficiently and hold onto them longer. Physical stores have re-emerged as that …

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Virachi Expands Physical Footprint with Flagship Boutique Launch in Kolkata

Fashion, Feature / By

Contemporary Indian womenswear label Virachi opened its first flagship boutique in Kolkata on August 18, at 20/1A Lake View Road, marking the brand’s transition from an occasion-wear label operating largely through exhibitions and digital channels into a dedicated physical retail format. Founded in 2015 by Rita Singhania, with Sidhant Singhania and Priyanka Singhania as co-founders, …

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