Kolkata: Durga Puja turned into a blockbuster season for Kolkata’s leading malls, with both South City Mall and Acropolis Mall reporting record-breaking footfalls and robust sales growth despite rains and revised tax structures.
Amit Kumar, executive director, South City Mall, described the festival as “the heartbeat of eastern India’s culture and economy,” noting that the mall witnessed unprecedented turnout and sales during the Puja period. “Our lotus-themed Puja Mandap, inspired by the tradition of offering 108 lotuses to the Goddess, became a true symbol of devotion and creativity, drawing admiration both inside the mall and on social media,” he said.
Kumar added that the response reaffirmed South City’s position as one of eastern India’s most trusted shopping destinations.
Acropolis Mall also recorded a buoyant season. Subhadip Basu, corporate general manager – hospitality and mall, Merlin Group, said festive sales were largely driven by emotion and cultural tradition, offsetting concerns over the new GST slab on apparel priced above Rs 2,500. “Although the higher GST rate has already come into effect, its real impact is expected from November. Puja shopping remained robust,” he explained.
According to Basu, the four days of Puja saw a surge in food and beverage sales as revellers thronged the food court and restaurants. Despite intermittent rain, Acropolis Mall logged a 10–15 per cent increase in footfall compared to last year, accompanied by a proportional rise in sales. New film releases further helped pull in the crowds.
“Though this year’s Puja coincided with September, closely following end-of-season sales, our retailer brands still reported double-digit growth across all categories,” Basu said, expressing confidence that next year’s mid-October festivities would bring even higher turnout. Mall operators said the strong performance underscored the festival’s role as both an economic driver and a cultural celebration.