R-Day Sale: Marketplaces, D2C brands log 16 mn transactions via Unicommerce

During the Republic Day sale, over 16 million transactions were processed by marketplaces and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, said a Unicommerce report. This year's first major online sale event began on January 13.

 

On the back of deal offerings and campaigns, marketplaces observed a notable 16 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth in order items. In contrast, direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand websites saw a modest Y-o-Y growth of over 5 per cent during the same period.

 

Unicommerce, a software development company specialising in e-commerce enablement, serves over 3,600 clients, including D2C brands, retail and e-commerce companies, as well as logistics provider firms.

 

During the 14-day event, health and pharma emerged as the top-performing category with over 80 per cent Y-o-Y order volume growth compared to the sale period last year. It was followed by home décor, which registered a 35 per cent growth, and beauty, wellness and personal care, recording a 16 per cent growth.

 

While tier-I and metropolitan cities led growth across toys and baby products and gaming accessories, tier-II and tier-III cities saw higher demand for perfumes and deodorants, and health devices. Overall, a big share of the demand was from cities like Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Coimbatore, Surat, Kolar, Alwar, Rohtak, Kamrup, and Gandhinagar.

 

The share of prepaid orders also continues to rise across tier-II and tier-III cities. During this year’s sale period, the market share of prepaid orders in the fashion and accessories category grew from 23.9 per cent to 25.1 per cent last year. Similarly, the health and pharma category witnessed higher prepaid orders, with their share rising from 8.4 per cent in 2024 to 14 per cent in 2025. The volume of prepaid orders across beauty, wellness and personal care also grew from 20.7 per cent to 21.4 per cent this year.

 

“With the rise of regional warehousing across smaller suburban towns and the growing adoption of technology in these regions, the e-commerce industry is unlocking connectivity, reaching previously untapped areas. This, in turn, supports brands and e-commerce platforms to fulfil consumer demand across the hinterland of Bharat,” said Unicommerce.