Festive e-commerce sales hit $2.5bn in first two days

Festive e-commerce sales in India generated an estimated $2.5 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) during the first two days on October 8 and 9, consultancy Redseer Strategy Consultants said. Shoppers placed 80 to 90 million orders across platforms including Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and Ajio, with 60 to 65 million consumers making at least one purchase. Around two-thirds of those consumers came from Tier 2 cities and smaller towns.

Fashion GMV grew 22 to 25% year-on-year, accounting for 15 to 18% of total online retail GMV. Large appliances and electronics together contributed 25 to 27% of GMV. One in two Amazon shoppers used equated monthly instalment (EMI) financing, according to Amazon Pay, one in three Flipkart shoppers chose no-cost EMI. Mint reported that on Amazon, the Apple 2026 MacBook Air with M5 chip rose from ₹1,66,990 on 24 September to ₹2,00,490 on October 8 before a discount, a tactic behavioural experts said relies on anchored price cues.