Now Reading: E-commerce platforms push affordability for festive season
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E-commerce platforms push affordability for festive season
The Story in Brief
E-commerce platforms Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho are focusing on affordable fashion, home goods and accessories this festive season, Livemint reported on 3 October. Flipkart introduced zero commission on products priced below Rs 1,000 in November 2025 and extended it to fashion across all price points in July 2026. Amazon followed with a waiver of referral fees for products below Rs 1,000 in March. The moves mirror Meesho’s affordability strategy, intensifying competition in the value-commerce segment, whose share of online commerce rose to 13% in the first half of 2026 from 9% in the first half of 2023, according to Redseer data cited in Nomura’s report.
Rising smartphone prices, up 16% on average in the first half of 2026 per Counterpoint Research, are affecting upgrade motivation, said Datum Intelligence founder Satish Meena. He expects festive e-commerce sales of about Rs 1.5 trillion, roughly 25% higher than 2025. Flipkart’s active seller base grew 62% year-on-year, while Amazon India’s seller base crossed 2 million, with over 300,000 additions marking its strongest seller growth in three years.
Update, 3 October 2026: Livemint on 3 October reported that e-commerce platforms Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho are doubling down on affordable fashion and home goods this festive season, with Flipkart and Amazon cutting seller fees on low-priced products. Rising smartphone prices are affecting upgrade motivation, and festive e-commerce sales are expected to reach about Rs 1.5 trillion, up 25% from 2025.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The new sources add a price-focus dimension to earlier coverage of festive growth driven by smaller cities and quick commerce. Livemint leads with affordability and intensifying value-commerce competition, citing rising electronics prices as a constraint on smartphone-led growth. This contrasts with the earlier sources, which emphasised premiumisation and Gen Z discovery. The Economic Times and Business Standard continue their neutral reporting, highlighting Flipkart’s growth figures and brand expansions without pricing tension. The balanced reading: festive demand is broadening across both value and premium channels, but smartphone price inflation may shift category mix. Livemint notes Meesho’s average order value fell to Rs 265 in FY26 from Rs 274 in FY25, while orders rose 45.5%.
Coverage: 8 sources, 8 neutral
Sources (8): economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report), businesstoday.in (neutral report), economictimes.indiatimes.com (2) (neutral report), businesstoday.in (2) (neutral report), fortuneindia.com (neutral report), economictimes.indiatimes.com (3) (neutral report), business-standard.com (neutral report), livemint.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 8 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
