This year’s edition carries the theme “Swadeshi With Global Appeal,” a deliberate attempt to spotlight local enterprise while enabling national and global brands to create a unified shopping experience across multiple districts.

New Delhi: Ahmedabad has stepped into its most ambitious retail moment of the year with the launch of the Ahmedabad Shopping Festival (ASF) 2025–26, a 41-day citywide celebration blending commerce, culture, tourism and community. Running from 5 December 2025 to 16 January 2026, the festival is an integrated effort of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the Government of Gujarat, designed to position the city as one of India’s most dynamic retail destinations.

This year’s edition carries the theme “Swadeshi With Global Appeal,” a deliberate attempt to spotlight local enterprise while enabling national and global brands to create a unified shopping experience across multiple districts.

Where an Entire City Turns Into a Marketplace

ASF 2025–26 spans six major shopping districts and a network of curated hotspots covering Sindhu Bhavan Road, CG Road, Nikol, Prahladnagar–Vastrapur, Kankaria–Rambaug Road and segments of the Sabarmati Riverfront. With over 8,000 retailers, brands, restaurants, hotels, MSMEs, artisans and service providers participating, the festival transforms Ahmedabad into a living retail corridor where offers, wedding markets, open-air showcases, cultural events and curated experiences merge into a seamless shopping ecosystem.

The ₹70,000-Crore Question: How Big Can Ahmedabad Shop This Year?

While final audited numbers will emerge only after the festival closes, industry observers expect ASF 2025–26 to generate business worth ₹70,000 crore or more, spanning retail, hospitality, entertainment and tourism. The optimism builds upon the previous edition’s widely reported ₹69,000 crore-plus consumption value during the festival-linked October 2024 period, driven by high footfall and strong festive sentiment. With broader participation and richer experiential programming this year, ASF is poised to exceed earlier benchmarks.

The Brands Behind the Buzz: From Retail Titans to Homegrown Heroes

The Reliance Effect: A Multi-Format Universe Under One Festival Sky

Reliance Retail has mounted one of the most prominent showcases, uniting formats such as Reliance Jewels, Trends, Trends Footwear, Tira Beauty, AJIO, Reliance Digital, Smart/Smart Bazaar, Hamleys and Urban Ladder within a visually striking festival presence. Designed and assembled within days, the multi-format zone has quickly emerged as one of ASF’s most visited and photographed attractions, adding significant footfall momentum across categories.

Ahmedabad Originals: The Local Labels That Give ASF Its Soul

Local heroes reinforce the festival’s cultural identity. JadeBlue leads the regional contingent with its deep-rooted menswear and occasionwear legacy, while boutiques and bridal stores across CG Road, Law Garden and Manek Chowk have activated wedding-season collections and ASF-linked experiences. Homegrown footwear, textiles, accessories and artisanal labels further amplify the festival’s Swadeshi-driven narrative.

Jade Blue’s Chief Managing Director Shri Jitendra Chauhan shares his inspiring perspective on the Ahmedabad Shopping Festival, calling it a landmark step towards Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi’s vision of ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Har Ghar Swadeshi’ empowerment. With pride in Indian craftsmanship and deep faith in Ahmedabad’s growth trajectory, he appeals to citizens and visitors alike to participate wholeheartedly in ASF 2025 and support Swadeshi products, local artisans and homegrown businesses. “Let’s celebrate fashion, food, culture and India’s creative spirit together,” he says — a sentiment that perfectly captures the festival’s heartbeat.

National Names, Big Frames: Chains Betting on ASF Footfalls

Nationwide retailers have aligned their seasonal campaigns with ASF through store activations and curated offers. Formats across fashion, electronics, beauty and lifestyle — from Pantaloons, Westside and Shoppers Stop to Croma, Vijay Sales, Nykaa, Manyavar, Sugar and Metro Shoes — are leveraging the 41-day period to capture festival- and wedding-driven consumer demand.

Where You Shop, Stay, Eat, Repeat: Malls and Hotels Join the Celebration

Ahmedabad’s malls, including Nexus Ahmedabad One and Palladium Ahmedabad, are running ASF-linked engagement programmes and experiential showcases. Hotels, particularly premium properties such as ITC Narmada, are curating stay packages tied to shopping benefits, heritage access and culinary experiences — strengthening the festival’s positioning as a retail-tourism hybrid.

Khadi, Crafts and Community: The Swadeshi Heart of the Festival

ASF’s grassroots layers remain central to its identity. Khadi and handloom clusters, MSME-led pop-ups, tribal craft stalls and cottage-industry exhibitions offer festival-goers an opportunity to explore Gujarat’s craft traditions, ensuring the event remains inclusive and economically meaningful for smaller enterprises.

When Shopping Meets Spectacle: The Cultural Engine Behind the Commerce

A defining feature of ASF 2025–26 is its expansive cultural calendar, which stretches across the city and acts as a strong driver of visitor engagement. Live concerts by Bollywood and regional artists, drone and laser-light shows along Sindhu Bhavan Road and the Riverfront, comedy and poetry evenings, open-air theatre, and night-time programming create a vibrant backdrop to the shopping experience.

Culinary carnivals, food truck festivals, curated food trails, styling workshops, wedding masterclasses, heritage walks, photography trails and old-city market tours further enrich the festival milieu. Youth-centric zones, carnivals and family entertainment spaces add to the multi-generational appeal. Together, these elements elevate ASF beyond a retail event, creating a citywide cultural ecosystem that encourages longer stays and deeper spending.

Ahmedabad on the Tourism Map: Why Visitors Are Flocking In

ASF is already drawing notable inflows from outside the city. Families from Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, along with NRGs returning for weddings and the winter social season, are contributing to rising footfalls. Domestic tourists seeking heritage-meets-shopping itineraries are visible across hotels and retail corridors.

Hospitality operators report healthy forward bookings for December and January weekends, complemented by strong early demand in restaurants and cafés along Sindhu Bhavan Road, Prahladnagar, and Riverfront precincts. Though official foreign tourist figures are yet to be released, the city’s UNESCO heritage status, enhanced connectivity and retail expansion are expected to contribute meaningfully to international arrivals during the festival period.

Early Ripples: What the First 48 Hours Reveal About Shopper Mood

The opening two days of ASF have delivered encouraging signals. Dense evening footfalls along Sindhu Bhavan Road and CG Road, strong mall traffic with heightened interest in electronics and apparel, and brisk movement in jewellery and wedding categories point toward healthy shopper sentiment. Night events and concerts have seen enthusiastic participation, further fueling momentum across retail zones.

Retailers attribute the early traction to a blend of festive energy, well-crafted experiences and coordinated discounting that is resonating with diverse consumer segments.

Retail’s Crystal Ball: What Analysts Expect From This 41-Day Marathon

Industry watchers anticipate a sustained upward curve over the coming weeks. Higher conversion rates driven by unified offers, growth in ticket sizes across premium and wedding-led categories, strong gifting demand, and elevated sales of electronics and apparel are among the key projections.

Analysts also expect ripple effects across hospitality, logistics, mobility and entertainment. With major weekends approaching — particularly Christmas, New Year and Uttarayan — ASF may witness its sharpest surges toward the end of December. If this trajectory holds, the 2025–26 edition could surpass the previous year in both business volume and visitor engagement.

A Blueprint for Tomorrow’s Retail Cities

ASF exemplifies a new model of retail-city building in India: one that blends public infrastructure, private-sector innovation, cultural placemaking and tourism-driven economics. By unifying brands, artisans, malls, hotels and performers under a single seasonal banner, Ahmedabad is showcasing how urban retail can evolve into an immersive, community-wide experience with measurable economic impact.

More Than a Festival — A Statement of Gujarat’s Retail Ambition

With 8,000+ participants, a 41-day curated calendar and multi-thousand-crore economic potential, the Ahmedabad Shopping Festival 2025–26 represents Gujarat’s growing retail ambition and its emergence as a cultural-commercial hub. The festival is not only a celebration of shopping — it is a powerful expression of how cities can bring together commerce, culture and community to shape the next chapter of India’s consumer story. ASF shoppers can win exclusive Reliance gift hampers packed with festive essentials — simply scan the QR code and book your ASF Pass.