Key Takeaways
- E-commerce festive sales grew 24% in order volume and 23% in GMV
- Tier II and III cities drove 55% of total orders
- Quick commerce orders surged 120% year-on-year
- Gold and silver coin sales saw 10x growth on quick commerce platforms
India’s festive e-commerce sales recorded strong growth this season, with order volumes rising 24% year-on-year and gross merchandise value increasing 23%. The surge was powered by smaller towns, quick commerce platforms, and premium purchases across categories.
Small Town Dominance in Festive Shopping
Tier II cities led regional growth with 28% increase in orders, followed by metros at 24% and Tier III towns at 23%. Together, Tier II and III cities accounted for more than half of all orders placed during the festive period.
Marketplaces maintained their dominance with 38% share of total purchases, though their order volume growth slowed to 8% this year.
Quick Commerce’s Golden Run
The biggest surprise came from quick commerce platforms, which recorded a massive 120% year-on-year jump in order volumes. The sector witnessed an unexpected gold rush during the festive season.
“We are finding around a 10x growth in gold and silver coins as compared to last year,” said Seshu Kumar Tirumala, Chief Buying and Merchandising Officer at BigBasket.
A category head at another quick commerce platform revealed: “Last year, during Diwali, we would have done about Rs 50 lakh of gold and silver coins. This year we already crossed about Rs 7 crore and expect it to go above Rs 25 crore.”
Fashion Platforms Ride the Wave
Myntra attracted two million new customers during the festive period, with strong demand for Indian wear, kidswear, casual wear, sports wear, accessories, jewellery, international brands, and premium beauty.
Non-metro cities including Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, Faridabad, and Coimbatore emerged as high-traction hubs. Myntra’s hyper-speed delivery service M-Now doubled its order volume during the festive sales compared to regular days.
Amazon’s Premium Push
Amazon reported a sixfold surge in furniture sales and 500% growth in festive decor. The platform saw customers increasingly opting for premium products across categories.
Energy-efficient appliance orders rose 50%, fitness equipment sales grew 20%, and gold jewellery purchases nearly doubled compared to previous periods.
“Premium fashion is seeing remarkable growth, with luxury watches and gold and diamond jewellery, including lab-grown diamonds, driving demand,” said Siddharth Bhagat, Director, Amazon Fashion and Beauty, India.
He added that customers are buying fine jewellery across price points, from Rs 2,000 for silver to Rs 40,000 for gold and diamond pieces. The trend toward 14 Karat purity gold for daily wear has grown 50% year-on-year.
The insights are based on analysis of over 150 million transactions processed on Unicommerce’s platform during the 25-day festive period.
