Amazon and Flipkart showcase GST deals as festival shopping begins

Amazon India has introduced a GST storefront to display reduced prices from tax cuts on key categories, aiming to capitalise on festive demand with offers, discounts and bank deals

Amazon India unveiled a dedicated marketplace section highlighting products with reduced tax burdens as the goods and services tax (GST) restructuring took effect on September 22, positioning the ecommerce giant to capitalise on lower consumer prices across electronics, appliances, and other categories. Its rival Flipkart, too, has rolled out its own GST-focused storefront, the GST Bachat Utsav, aimed at helping shoppers maximise benefits from the new tax rates across multiple categories.

 

The move allows both Amazon and Flipkart to immediately showcase price reductions resulting from the GST changes, which lowered tax rates on several product categories from 28 per cent to 18 per cent. The Great Savings Celebration, #GSTBachatUtsav storefront launches ahead of Amazon’s flagship Great Indian Festival (GIF) sale, which begins on September 23, with early access for Prime members starting at midnight on September 22.

 

The storefront will feature bad­ges on products that reflect applicable GST savings, making it eas­ier for customers to identify and shop for these offers. During Prime Early Access, these badges will read Prime Deal + GST Savings, and during the main event, they will read Deal with GST Savings.

 

In addition to GST savings and Prime deals, customers will also find a wide selection of festival offers from sellers, affordability options such as no-cost EMI via Amazon Pay Later, and benefits like up to 5 per cent assured cashback for Prime members through Amazon Pay Rewards Gold.

 

Amazon has implemented mechanisms to help sellers transition smoothly to the new GST rates effective September 22. Sellers remain responsible for ensuring the correct GST rates and product tax codes (PTCs) are applied to their products, while Amazon is proactively supporting them with tools and guidance to review and maintain accuracy across their listings. Wherever possible, Amazon said it is automatically updating GST rates and PTCs on sellers’ listings for select product categories.

 

“We have also equipped sellers with comprehensive resources, including masterclasses on understanding the nuances of GST tax codes,” said the company. “While sellers on Amazon.in continue to have complete control over product pricing, we are enabling them to conveniently pass on the benefits of GST reductions to customers in applicable product categories.”

 

During the GIF sale, shoppers can explore over 100,000 products and more than 30,000 launches from leading brands such as Samsung, Apple, Titan, and Libas. The deals include the Apple iPhone 15 at ₹43,749 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G at ₹71,999.

 

The tax reform represents a marked shift in India’s retail landscape, potentially lifting consumer spending during the crucial festival shopping season when e-commerce companies generate a substantial portion of their annual revenue. Industry analysts project the GST restructuring could increase sales by 15–20 per cent as retailers pass savings on to consumers, with premium electronics categories expected to see the strongest demand response.

 

Pratik Shetty, vice-president of growth and marketing at Flipkart, said: “We see the GST 2.0 reforms as a game-changer that will drive consumption and unlock significant value for customers this festival season.”

 

“Especially in high-value categories like electronics and large appliances, shoppers have been holding back purchases in anticipation of this shift. Early trends already reflect a surge in interest now that the reforms are here. We want to give customers the confidence that they are truly getting the best possible value on their festival shopping,” Shetty added.