E-commerce and quick commerce platforms in India are preparing for the upcoming festive season. Analysts and industry representatives anticipate significant growth in sales value, while observing varied spending trends: strong demand for premium goods coexists with bargain hunting among price-sensitive shoppers.
The growing appeal of the quick commerce sector extends beyond staple food items into fashion, electronics, and cosmetics, a trend likely to accelerate during this festive period, building on successes from recent holiday shopping cycles.
Shubham Nimkar, a research analyst at Counterpoint Research, believes the festive season will be 'healthy in terms of value, but more moderate in volume.' He noted that despite consumers' willingness to spend, rising prices are making them more selective. Meanwhile, the consumer electronics segment featuring premium goods is likely to perform well, even if price-sensitive consumers continue to actively seek discounts.
Nimkar also added that the price increase in smartphones, driven by higher memory costs, may prompt buyers to plan purchases closer to major online sales events.
According to a report by consulting firm Infisum, the Indian e-commerce market is projected to nearly triple: from $125 billion in 2024 to $345 billion by 2030. This growth is forecast at a compound annual growth rate of 18.4 percent, driven by the rapid expansion of the quick commerce sector and the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The report indicates that by the end of the decade, e-commerce will account for 10–12% of India's retail spending and serve 420–440 million online shoppers.
The quick commerce sector continues to expand beyond its traditional food base. Devendra Mill, Director of Business Development at Zepto, stated that festive purchases are becoming more diverse as brands introduce occasion-specific product lines for various events and regions, including smaller festivals like Ekadashi and Teej.
Nimkar emphasized that consumers are increasingly using quick commerce for purchasing consumer electronics and urgent needs. However, categories requiring extensive searching, variety, and price comparison will still favor traditional e-commerce.
Achit Sethia, CEO of Snapdeal, believes that quick commerce 'largely solves the immediate availability problem in India's megacities.' He also notes that consumers outside megacities shop deliberately and compare prices, viewing the two formats as serving different needs rather than being direct competitors. Sethia added that 'value seeking remains the dominant behavior for the consumer we serve. Our buyer looks for quality at a fair price, not brand premiumization. Nevertheless, 'value' does not mean the cheapest option.'