Now Reading: Festive ecommerce sales shift to smaller items as big-ticket buys dip
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Festive ecommerce sales shift to smaller items as big-ticket buys dip
Festive ecommerce sales shift to smaller items as big-ticket buys dip
The Story in Brief
The 2026 festive online sale season fell short of expectations, with Forbes India reporting a decline in the share of smartphone sales online from 35 percent in 2025 to 25 percent in 2026, knocking nearly 5 points off overall ecommerce volume growth. The report, citing Datum Intelligence, says rising device costs and a lack of merchant discounts pushed consumers towards smaller purchases, while EMI spends on Amazon India grew 40 percent over in 2025. Amazon India's Aman Deep Lohan told Forbes India there is a clear trend towards premiumisation, with demand for 55-inch HDTVs and kitchen appliances like coffee machines and air fryers rising sharply.
Separately, Business Today reports that offline smartphone sales during Diwali 2026 declined 20 percent, according to the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA). Prices rose due to higher memory chip and component costs, hitting demand for devices below Rs 15,000. AIMRA noted nearly 60 percent of festive smartphone purchases were financed through EMIs. The association warned that offline sales volumes could fall by as much as 50 percent over the next three months as festive demand cools, and called for more consistent pricing across online and offline channels.
Quick commerce gained share, with Forbes India reporting that it commanded nearly 16 percent of online festive sales in 2026, up from 12 percent in 2025, driven by platforms like Flipkart Minutes and Amazon Now. Meesho reported 33 percent year-on-year net merchandise value growth over the 90 days preceding Dussehra, with first-time buyers up 16 percent quarter-on-quarter.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both Forbes India and Business Today provide neutral, data-driven reporting on different market segments, online and offline, without editorial slant. Forbes India foregrounds premiumisation trends and quick commerce growth, citing Amazon and Meesho spokespersons, while Business Today focuses on offline retailer pain and brand-specific declines, citing AIMRA. The two reports together paint a complete picture: rising prices hit volume across channels, but premium and financed purchases sustain value. Both outlets omit any political or regulatory angle. The concrete next step is AIMRA's warning of a potential 50 percent drop in offline sales over the next three months, which will test whether affordability measures and EMI options can sustain demand.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): forbesindia.com (neutral report), businesstoday.in (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
