11 october 2024 : Online marketplaces recorded $6.5 billion in sales during the first week of festive sales, marking a 26% increase from last year. Mobile phones, electronics, consumer durables, and home goods made up three-fourths of the total sales. According to ecommerce consultancy Datum Intelligence, this week alone accounted for about 55% of the expected total ecommerce sales for the festive period.
Flipkart and Amazon India launched their festive sales—Big Billion Days and Great Indian Festival—on September 27, with early access for loyalty program members like Amazon Prime and Flipkart Plus starting a day earlier. Meesho also kicked off its Mega Blockbuster Sale on the same day and saw a 40% year-over-year increase in orders, with strong demand from tier-II cities, nearly 45% of shoppers coming from tier IV areas.
Meesho’s co-founder and CEO Vidit Aatrey shared with Economic Times that the first week performed much better than expected, with demand being front-loaded as many consumers planned their purchases early to ensure timely delivery before the festivals. Flipkart also noted strong demand from smaller cities, including Medinipur, Hisar, Berhampore, Bankura, and Agartala, in addition to major metros like New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
