GoKwik says that the shift is coming as consumers seek to beat last-minute supply bottlenecks and secure early discounts
Indian shoppers are preparing their festive baskets earlier than usual this year, resulting in a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in order volumes for direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands on GoKwik’s platform during the pre-festive period, according to the ecommerce enabler.
GoKwik said the shift is coming as consumers seek to beat last-minute supply bottlenecks and secure early discounts. Fashion and apparel dominated sales, representing 31 per cent of total volumes, followed by beauty and personal care at 22 per cent and health and wellness at 14 per cent.
“The early-festive period is proving to be a litmus test for D2C resilience. Brands that prepared with better address hygiene and proactive customer engagement have seen improved delivery outcomes,” said Chirag Taneja, co-founder and chief executive officer of GoKwik.
Besides the standard categories, a few unusual categories, such as astrology, also emerged. Astrological products posted the highest average order value at Rs 5,042 per purchase. In contrast, spiritual products such as Rudraksha beads, Yantras, deities, and other pooja items joined mainstream online carts alongside fashion and beauty, highlighting changing consumer preferences.
The growth was not limited to category expansion as nine brands reported more than 100 per cent year-on-year volume growth, suggesting breakouts in niche segments. Bengaluru recorded the highest order volumes, followed by Pune and Mumbai suburban areas. Rangareddy district in Telangana entered the top 10 locations for the first time, pointing to D2C adoption outside traditional metro hubs.
The report noted that merchants also reported sharper supply-chain performance. Return-to-origin (RTO) rates, a key metric for failed deliveries, declined across major categories. Electronics improved from 31.5 per cent to 27 per cent, while footwear fell from 37 per cent to 27.9 per cent.
Prepaid orders surged across 15 of 18 categories. In fashion and apparel, prepaid adoption rose from 30.4 per cent to 48.7 per cent. Beauty and personal care climbed from 38.7 per cent to 55.5 per cent, while electronics increased from 56.6 per cent to 64.1 per cent, as per the report. Across categories, prepaid penetration rose by an average of 11.9 percentage points. GoKwik attributed the trend to cleaner data, stricter courier orchestration, and stronger buyer communication ahead of the peak festive quarter.
