Amazon reports a jump of more than 50% in festival sale volumes, with smaller cities, No Cost EMI and quick delivery driving much of the buying.
What happened
Shopping volumes in Amazon’s Great Indian Festival sale, which is still under way, have climbed by more than 50% over last year, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. The company said its platform has drawn over 393 crore customer visits so far.
“Our shopping volumes have grown by more than 50 per cent compared to last year’s Great Indian Festival,” Aman Deep Lohan, Director, Home, Kitchen and Outdoors, Amazon India, told The Hindu BusinessLine. He said roughly 70% of those visits came from outside the metros. Amazon also said shoppers saved more than ₹2,800 crore during the sale.
Lohan pointed to strong demand in several categories. Premium Android phones costing above ₹30,000 grew over 50% from a year ago, while smartwatch sales rose almost 4x to 5x. Televisions of 55 inches or larger accounted for 60% of all TV sales. Coffee machine sales jumped 80% in the Home and Kitchen category, he added, and air fryers were up 55%.
The background
Much of this buying is being paid for in instalments. Lohan said spending through EMI rose 40% year-on-year, and for mobiles, TVs and appliances, EMI accounted for half of what customers spent.
Interest-free plans dominate. According to Lohan, No Cost EMI made up 90% of all EMI spending, and the number of customers picking it was 25% higher than last year.
Speed of delivery is another part of the picture. Half of all products, Amazon said, were handed over to buyers in a matter of minutes using its Amazon Now service, while a third of orders were delivered the same day. Lohan said the quick-delivery service, once focused on perishables and vegetables, has widened its range in recent months to cover electronics and home and kitchen goods, and handled around 25,000 to 30,000 deals during the sale. Interest from smaller towns also showed up in less expected places: buyers from 4,500 pin codes looked at two-wheelers online, with Tier-II and Tier-III cities making up 60% of that demand.
What it means for you
With Diwali getting closer, Lohan said buyers are turning towards home décor, kitchen and dining products, and gifts such as dinnerware and LEGO toys. Shoppers planning festive gifting or a home refresh may find these sections busy, and Amazon Now’s wider range means some electronics and kitchen items could reach certain buyers within minutes. It may help to check whether the faster option covers your area before ordering.
For bigger purchases such as phones above ₹30,000, large TVs or appliances, No Cost EMI is clearly the popular route. Shoppers may want to read the plan details carefully, compare the final price across payment options and confirm the tenure before checking out, so the instalments fit comfortably into the household budget after the festive season.
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Sources
- The Hindu BusinessLine — Amazon clocks over 50% growth in shopping volumes during its Great Indian Festival
