E-commerce platforms gear up for festive shopping
India’s e-commerce and quick commerce platforms are preparing for a strong festive shopping season, with analysts expecting healthy growth in sales value even as consumers balance premium purchases with greater sensitivity to prices.
Quick commerce is increasingly expanding beyond groceries into categories such as fashion, electronics and beauty, while traditional e-commerce continues to benefit from shoppers seeking wider choice, product discovery and price comparisons.
Counterpoint Research analyst Shubham Nimkar expects the festive season to see healthy value growth but more measured volumes, as rising prices make consumers more selective. Premium consumer electronics could perform well, while deal-driven shoppers are expected to time purchases around major online sales.
The broader e-commerce market is projected by Infisum to grow from USD 125 billion in 2024 to USD 345 billion by 2030, driven by quick commerce and artificial intelligence. By then, online retail could account for 10-12 per cent of India’s retail spending.
Non-metro markets are expected to remain a major source of festive demand. Snapdeal said more than 80 per cent of its sales come from non-metro regions, while Meesho reported that 73 per cent of its Rakhi orders came from such markets.
The festive shopping window is also beginning earlier, with brands and platforms increasingly targeting demand ahead of Diwali.
Artificial intelligence is emerging as another major influence, powering personalised recommendations, visual search, virtual try-ons and other shopping tools.
The season is also expected to generate significant employment, with Amazon and Meesho announcing hundreds of thousands of seasonal opportunities across their seller, logistics and fulfilment networks.
with inputs from PTI
