Stories
Amazon and Flipkart Kick Off Festive Sales with Surge in Premium Shopping
- •Amazon and Flipkart witnessed record-breaking starts to their flagship festive sales, driven by massive demand for premium smartphones, electronics, and appliances.
- •Amazon reported doubled year-on-year orders during the Great Indian Festival 2026 opening, while Flipkart recorded 6.3 million concurrent users in a minute.
- •Shoppers capitalized on festive discounts, exchange offers, and financing options like no-cost EMIs to upgrade to high-value purchases.
- •Smaller cities and non-metro towns played a significant role, accounting for a large share of the demand and wider reach for e-commerce platforms.
- •Quick commerce services gained strong traction, with Amazon Now and Flipkart Minutes delivering orders within minutes in several cities.
Key Questions Answered
Both platforms reported a strong start with robust demand for premium products. Amazon stated that orders doubled year on year during the opening of the Great Indian Festival 2026, marking its biggest opening ever, while Flipkart recorded 6.3 million concurrent users in a minute during the kick-off of The Big Billion Days.
Platforms used discounts, exchanges, and financing options to make higher-value items more affordable, with Amazon noting that one in two customers used EMIs and one in three units received cashback. Similarly, Flipkart reported that one in four smartphone buyers opted for product exchanges and one in three selected no-cost EMI.
Quick commerce saw increased traction with faster deliveries, as Amazon delivered one in every two products within minutes across more than 120 cities served by Amazon Now. Meanwhile, Flipkart Minutes recorded a 3.5-fold increase in orders compared with regular days during the first hour.
