Walmart expects that the shifting of the Flipkart's Big Billion Days event, which is owned by Walmart, from the third to the fourth quarter will lead to a decline in sales growth rates in the third quarter by more than 100 basis points, but this will ensure corresponding growth in the fourth quarter.
The American retail giant Walmart reported that the change in the schedule for the Big Billion Days sale of its Indian subsidiary Flipkart in fiscal year 27 will create a negative impact on the third quarter while stimulating the fourth quarter.
In the second-quarter earnings report released by its Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters, Walmart stated: 'Regarding the third-quarter sales forecast, we expect a negative impact of more than 100 basis points on growth due to the shift of Flipkart's Big Billion Days between the third and fourth quarters.'
Although Flipkart has not officially announced the date for 'Big Billion Days 2026' on its homepage, some reports indicate that the event should start on September 23, 2026, with early access for Plus members on September 22, 2026, and is expected to last until October 2, 2026.
Last year, in November 2025, Walmart noted that the timing of the Flipkart sale 'contributed to the growth of' its international business in the third quarter of fiscal year 26.
Management Comments on Sales Impact
During the second-quarter conference call for fiscal year 27, Walmart Inc. Executive Vice President and CFO John David Reaney noted that the Flipkart Big Billion Days schedule 'will affect the sales growth rate in the third and fourth quarters.' He added: 'This year we expect a negative impact of more than 100 basis points on third-quarter sales growth because we are lagging behind last year's event. We expect that fourth-quarter sales growth will benefit similarly from this year. Overall, for the company, we expect third-quarter sales growth to be between 3 percent and 3.75 percent.'
During the second quarter, which follows the February-January fiscal calendar, Walmart reported that India remained a key driver of growth for Walmart's International Business in the reporting period.
Walmart's International Business, operating in 18 countries outside the US, demonstrated double-digit growth at 7.9 percent, reaching $33.7 billion in the second quarter of fiscal year 27.
International Segment and Advertising Growth
Walmart President and CEO John Furner stated that 'the International segment grew by 7.9 percent, driven by China and India.' He also noted: 'The e-commerce ratio for Walmart International is now 30 percent, with strong growth again in China, India, and Canada.'
The retailer also reported significant growth in its advertising business, with Flipkart Ads being a major contributor. Walmart stated that its advertising business increased by 20 percentage points in the quarter, led by Flipkart Ads. Global ad revenue grew by 38 percent thanks to strong growth in Walmart Connect in the US and Flipkart Ads.
The company also reported that e-commerce growth in the international segment increased by 19 percent, driven by China, India, and Canada.
Walmart owns a controlling stake in the Indian marketplace Flipkart, which conducts the annual Big Billion Days sale—one of the largest seasonal shopping events in the country. The company acquired a 77 percent controlling stake in 2018 in a deal worth $16 billion. Since then, it has increased its stake and now owns over 80 percent of the large Indian e-commerce enterprise headquartered in Bangalore.