AC sales slump on price hikes, unseasonal weather; ice cream, beverages stay hot in Q1 FY26

Cooling demand split sharply in the June quarter: AC volumes dropped as 18-20% cumulative price hikes and erratic weather pushed consumers toward coolers and fans, while Mother Dairy, Coca-Cola and Havmor rode quick commerce and impulse buying to strong growth—Mother Dairy clocking 30%+ volume gains in fresh dairy and ice cream.

— Filed Sun, 28 Jun, 2026, 12:39 IST · Source ET Small Business · Updated

June-quarter cooling demand was uneven: AC sales slumped due to unseasonal weather and 18-20% price hikes pushing down-trading to coolers/fans, while beverages, ice cream and dairy posted strong growth, aided by quick commerce and impulse consumption.

Why this matters

Reinforces a clear Q1 FY26 split in cooling demand: AC makers like Godrej lost volume to price-led resistance and weather, while impulse categories like dairy, ice cream and beverages gained share.

Footfall steady with 262 signals in last 90 days, signaling stable consumer traffic despite category-level demand shifts.