E-commerce Festive Sales

The Confederation of West Bengal Trade Associations (CWBTA) on Monday expressed concern over the rising volume of online festive sales and the deep discounts offered by e-commerce platforms, saying the widening online-offline price gap was hurting traditional retailers. E-commerce companies have reportedly clocked around Rs 24,000 crore in sales in the first two days of the festive season, it claimed. The apex trade body said such a shift in consumer spending, coupled with aggressive price competition, was putting significant pressure on offline retailers and traditional markets. CWBTA president Sushil Poddar said the issue was not the growth of e-commerce but the large difference in prices between online and offline sellers. "Online sales of around Rs 24,000 crore in just two days clearly demonstrate the enormous scale of the shift in consumer purchasing. However, when such sales are driven by substantial price differences, the impact on offline traders cannot be ignored. Traditio

Customers from every pin code placed orders as premium smartphones, home entertainment, fashion and beauty drove demand, with Amazon reporting its biggest-ever opening day

Flipkart says homegrown brands have grown 60 per cent in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, while its beauty and general merchandise category is growing nearly 50 per cent

India's e-commerce and quick commerce platforms are gearing up for the festive season, with industry and analysts expecting healthy value growth and divergent spending trends, as strong consumer appetite for premium products co-exists alongside bargain-hunting by value-conscious shoppers. A key growth engine in e-tailing, quick commerce's widening appeal beyond everyday groceries into fashion, electronics, and beauty is likely to gather further pace this festive season, building on the gains during the recent festival-led shopping cycles. Shubham Nimkar, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research, believes the festive season will be "healthy in value terms, but more measured in volume terms". While consumers will be willing to spend, higher prices are making them more selective, he said, with premium products in the consumer electronics segment likely to perform well, even as value-conscious consumers stay highly deal-driven. He added that rising smartphone prices, driven by higher

Amazon's Great Indian Festival 2025 starts today for Prime members and tomorrow for others, while Flipkart's sale goes live tomorrow, offering deals on electronics, laptops, TVs, and more

Fashion segment and electronics driven by quick commerce platforms in major cities Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore

From September 26 to 28, online retailers experienced approximately a 26 per cent increase in sales compared to the previous year, amounting to around Rs 26,500 crore

Flipkart recorded 330 mn user visits during Early Access and Day 1 combined, during The Big Billion Days (TBBD) 2024 sale event. Another e-commerce firm Meesho said it achieved 100 per cent increase

India's festive season, which stretches from Onam to Diwali and includes Navratri, Durga Puja, and Dussehra, is the country's largest consumption period, contributing to 20-30% of annual sales

The festive season - which begins on August 19 with Raksha Bandhan through to Christmas and the New Year - is likely to see a boost in consumer spending, leading to a surge in temporary hires

The service has been launched across areas such as HSR Layout, Gunjur, Bellandur, and Kadubeesanahalli

The growth of e-commerce during the sale period was supported by attractive deals and nationwide marketing campaigns done by leading marketplaces, the report said

Marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon India earn a major chunk of their yearly gross sales in the festive period which usually lasts for a month

This is 18-20 per cent higher than last year and will be driven by about 140 million shoppers who are expected to be transacting online at least once during this festive month

This is about 25 per cent year-over-year growth as compared to festive sale month of CY2021

This comes on the back of tie-ups between e-commerce companies and Indian Railways, and expansion of fulfillment centres which has enabled increased storage and quicker deliveries

The numbers come amid preparations for Amazon's month-long flagship sale event The Great Indian Festival (TGIF), which starts on September 23

The ramp-up includes the addition of over 6,300 personnel to fulfil demand across first- and mid-mile delivery and 3,000 personnel to cater to last-mile delivery

The massive growth in festive sales will further push the overall online retail GMV (gross merchandise value), which stood at $52 billion in 2021, to grow by 30 per cent to reach $68 billion in 2022

Planning your expenses and comparing offers is a good way to start; use your plastic wisely and don't buy every claim the manufacturer tries to sell you