Sankranti, Pongal and Lohri: Planning January Festive Offers
Published: 10/9/2026
Category: Retail
Mid-January harvest festivals drive demand for sesame, jaggery, kites, sweets, clothes and gifts across India. How retailers and food businesses can plan stock and offers by region.
Mid-January brings a cluster of harvest festivals: Lohri in Punjab and the north, Makar Sankranti across many states (with kite flying in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and til-gul in Maharashtra), Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Bihu in Assam. For shops and food businesses, it is a short but reliable demand spike, and it is very regional. Plan for the festival your customers celebrate.
What sells, by region (examples)
| Festival | Region | Often in demand |
|---|
| Lohri | Punjab, Haryana, Delhi | Peanuts, popcorn, rewri, gajak, jaggery, winter clothing |
| Makar Sankranti / Uttarayan | Gujarat, Rajasthan | Kites, manja, chikki, sesame sweets, undhiyu ingredients |
| Makar Sankranti (til-gul) | Maharashtra, Karnataka | Sesame, jaggery, halwa (sugar candy), gifting items, black clothes in some traditions |
| Pongal | Tamil Nadu | Rice, jaggery, moong dal, sugarcane, new vessels, clothes |
| Bhogali Bihu | Assam | Rice products, pitha ingredients, gifts |
Customs vary within regions; use your own sales history.
Plan in three steps
- Check last January's sales for the two weeks before the festival.
- Order early: suppliers of sesame, jaggery and kites run short close to the date.
- Make festival kits: ready packs (til-gul pack, Pongal kit, Lohri snack box) at a clear price speed up billing and lift average bill value.
Offers that work
- Kits and combos rather than discounts on single items
- Pre-orders for sweets and kits, with pickup slots
- Gift packs for businesses sending greetings to customers
- Messages to opted-in customers a week before, with kit prices and pickup dates
Food businesses
Sweet shops and restaurants can offer festival-specific items (til laddoo, gajak, Pongal thali) for the week. Cost them properly and keep the special menu short.
After the festival
Clear leftover kites and seasonal sweets quickly; sesame and jaggery products can move into regular stock if within shelf life.
Where BizFlow fits
BizFlow lets you create festival kits as single billable items, take pre-orders with advances and compare this year's festival sales with last year's. See BillFlow.
Frequently asked questions
Q: When should shops stock up for Sankranti and Lohri?
A: Order in the last week of December or first week of January, before suppliers run short.
Q: Do festival kits really increase sales?
A: Kits make choosing easier for customers and billing faster for you, and they usually raise the average bill value.
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