Mumbai: E-commerce order volumes during the first six days of the festive season have recorded a 21% year-on-year increase, according to an analysis by Unicommerce, India’s leading e-commerce enablement SaaS platform. The comparison is based on the corresponding six-day period last year (starting 26 September 2024), accounting for this year’s staggered sale dates across platforms.
The analysis draws on over 40 million transactions processed on Unicommerce’s flagship platform, Uniware, during the initial festive sale week. Quick commerce emerged as a key growth driver, with order volumes surging over 85% compared to last year, reflecting consumers’ increasing preference for faster delivery.
The growth in quick commerce highlights how consumer expectations for convenience and speed are shaping this year’s festive season sales.
Key categories contributing to overall growth included FMCG, led by healthy foods, followed by beauty & wellness, health & pharma—with strong demand for nutraceuticals and supplements—electronics, driven by increased home appliance sales, and home decor products.
Brand websites also witnessed a 31% rise in order volumes, particularly in the beauty and wellness segment, encompassing makeup, personal care, and hygiene products. The fashion category, primarily driven by apparel and jewellery, recorded robust growth as well.
Tier II and III cities continued to play a major role in festive sales, collectively accounting for around 58% of total transactions during the first week. While metros and Tier I cities recorded a 22% increase in order volumes, Tier II and III cities together posted 20% growth compared to the same period last year. This underscores the growing significance of smaller towns in driving festive demand across the country.
