U.S. grocers and other retailers are increasingly tapping Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, as an opportunity to bolster Q4 holiday sales, reports BBC.
"Diwali is coming out from a liminal space and becoming a part of our national lexicon of holidays," said Soni Satpathy-Singh, a New York-based entrepreneur, who owns meal delivery review site Meal Matchmaker and works as a private chef and content creator.
Major retailers, including Target, Walmart, and Costco have begun tailoring Diwali-specific items, including providing food and sweets typically eaten during the holiday, as well as merchandising relevant gift boxes and home goods.
"Diwali is the equivalent of Christmas for consumption for South Asians in terms of buying new clothes, buying new things, painting the house," said Nirmalya Kumar, a professor of marketing at Singapore Management University.
The potential market is large, with nearly 4.4 million Indian Americans living in the U.S. many of whom celebrate the holiday, according to U.S. Census data.
Collaborations are also beginning to occur between brands and retailers. To celebrate the holiday, Deep Indian Kitchen, an Indian food maker, shared that it is offering 10,000 free meals through Instacart.
"The festival of Diwali is about spending time together and spreading light to one another while enjoying a delicious feast with rich spices, samosas, naan, sweets, and more. We at Deep Indian Kitchen are excited to share the deeper meaning behind Diwali and do our part by introducing incredible Indian food and culture to thousands of new people," said Kiernan Laughlin, general manager of Deep Indian Kitchen, in a statement. Full Story
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