A spike in air pollution across northern India in the final months of 2025 impacted consumer demand, according to Shoppers Stop Ltd., a leading department store chain which said the issue was among factors that weighed on sales growth.
“Elevated pollution levels in northern India reduced consumer mobility and discretionary spending,” adding to uneven demand and the impacts of festive calendar shifts, the Mumbai-based company said in a statement. Sales in the three months ended Dec. 31 were flat and earnings fell. The chain’s shares tumbled Wednesday as much as about 12% before paring losses.
Air pollution in India is a yearlong issue which becomes more severe during the winter, when cold temperatures trap emissions from road traffic, construction dust, and smoke from stubble burning in agricultural regions surrounding the capital New Delhi.
Last November and December saw the worst levels of pollution in years in the capital, with about 90% of days recording an air quality index above 300, according to Bloomberg calculations based on official data. The United States’ Environmental Protection Agency sets a reading of 50 or below as acceptable.
The impact of recent poor air quality on Shoppers Stop’s sales growth underscores “the vulnerability of consumption to environmental disruptions,” the company said in its statement.
It adds to other indicators that chronic air pollution is starting to impact businesses in the capital. Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd.’s finance chief Rajkumar Bafna abruptly resigned in December on health grounds, citing the city’s poor air quality.
This report is auto-generated from Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.