Athira Sethu
Kochi, 29 Sep 2025
Online retailing in India began well this festive season but is now beginning to slow down. Sales on online stores such as Amazon and Flipkart witnessed a massive jump as soon as the major sales started on September 22. However, after the initial couple of days, there has been a slight dip in demand. Nevertheless, sellers and analysts opine that consumers will continue to come back in big numbers as Diwali approaches.
Based on data from Datum Intelligence, e-commerce sales on September 22 generated approximately ₹60,700 crore worth of gross sales value. That represents 51% of all festive sales this year and a 29% rise from last year’s corresponding period. The majority of the shopping occurred on Day 1, when Prime members and loyalty customers were able to shop early using early access deals.
Discounts and reduced GST rates on the first two days caused sales to increase by 32–35%. However, by Day 3, sales fell to a mere 70% of Day 1. Weekdays like Wednesday to Friday experienced lower sales, as individuals were less inclined to go shopping on weekdays.
Analysts explain that numerous buyers rushed in on Day 1 to purchase at reduced prices and had previously planned their buys. Demand, though, has been increasing since March this year, so it is still higher than customary levels.
Brand owners indicate that the sales will continue to remain steady until Diwali. Pilgrim brand’s Anurag Kedia noted that though the initial boom has gone by, consistent demand is here to stay. Miraggio’s Mohit Jain noted there’s been a marginal dip but they’re continuing to see more than 100% growth over last year.
To maintain the pace on slow mid-week days, sites such as Flipkart launched more evening offers to tempt customers. Despite a decline in sales on Thursday and Friday, traffic picked up over the weekend.
The smartphone segment was the highest-selling category at 42% of overall sales. Lifestyle products, appliances, electronics, and home products were among the bestsellers.
There are some lifestyle and fashion companies that are still posting high growth. Zouk saw four times its normal sales, and ethnic wear brand Suta is looking for 40% year-on-year growth. With Diwali just around the corner, sellers expect clothing, beauty, and gift items to take a big boost in the days ahead.
