Over 72 per cent of visits come from beyond the top nine metros as sellers record more than double the unit orders in the first 24 hours; EMI adoption and first-time shoppers also increase
Amazon India’s Great Indian Festival 2026 has delivered a strong start for sellers, with the number of sellers recording sales of more than Rs 1 crore in the first 24 hours rising by over 80 per cent year-on-year. Sellers on Amazon.in also recorded more than twice the number of units ordered during the opening 24 hours compared with the same period last year.
The early performance points to broad-based demand across product categories, with beauty, kitchen, wireless, apparel and home products registering strong growth. The e-commerce platform also reported increased participation from smaller cities, a near-doubling of first-time shoppers and greater use of flexible payment options.
As of October 9, Amazon said the early phase of the sale had attracted over 440 million visits, the highest in the history of Amazon.in. More than 72 per cent of visits came from beyond the top nine metros, underlining the contribution of non-metro markets to festive-season shopping.
Beauty, Kitchen Lead Category Growth
Beauty emerged as the fastest-growing category among sellers, with units ordered increasing nearly sevenfold during the opening phase. Kitchen products recorded 4.2 times the orders, followed by wireless products at 3.4 times, apparel at 3.1 times and home products at 2.7 times.
Individual brands also reported strong demand. Philips recorded a tenfold surge in demand compared with a regular business day, according to Gulbahar Taurani, Managing Director and CEO of Versuni India.
“The Great Indian Festival has started on a very encouraging note,” said Arjun Ramamoorthy, Brand Head, Reebok India, adding that sales had more than doubled compared with the same period last year.
WROGN reported business at ten times its usual daily level and three times its Prime Day performance. Renee said its first-day sales had doubled year-on-year and reached three times its usual daily levels.
Penguin Random House India recorded nearly 50 per cent sales growth over the first two days compared with the corresponding period last year, indicating continued demand for books during the festive shopping period.
Non-Metro Markets Expand Customer Base
Amazon’s early sale data highlights the growing importance of customers beyond India’s largest cities. More than 72 per cent of visits came from outside the top nine metros, while the number of first-time customers shopping on Amazon.in increased by close to 100 per cent.
The Amazon shopping app also recorded its highest-ever single-day downloads, at five times the level of a regular business day.
The company said customers from every pin code in India had placed orders during the opening phase. Millions of orders were delivered within hours, while in more than 120 cities served by Amazon Now, one in every two products was delivered within minutes.
The figures suggest that the festive sale is expanding both the platform’s customer base and its reach across smaller cities and towns.
Flexible Payments Support Festive Purchases
Payment options remained an important part of the shopping event, particularly as customers sought to spread the cost of higher-value purchases.
More than one in three customers chose equated monthly instalments (EMIs), according to Amazon’s latest data. Transactions through Amazon Pay Later using EMI doubled year-on-year, while its user base expanded by 80 per cent.
One in four Amazon Pay Later customers used the service to split payments interest-free. The Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card user base grew 15 per cent year-on-year, while one in four customers transacted using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
Amazon has also highlighted the role of bank discounts, exchange offers, no-cost EMIs and cashback in driving purchases. The company said one in every three units bought during the sale received cashback.
Premium Products Gain Ground
Demand for premium products has been another feature of the opening phase, with customers upgrading smartphones, electronics, appliances and personal-care products.
Premium Android smartphone sales increased 70 per cent year-on-year. MacBook Neo sales reached 65 times their regular-day level, while premium wearables recorded sales at 80 times a regular business day, led by Garmin, Apple, Samsung and Amazfit.
Home entertainment sales reached 77 times a regular day’s level, with televisions measuring 55 inches and above accounting for 65 per cent of all televisions sold. Large appliances recorded sales at 50 times their usual daily level.
Fashion sales were seven times a regular day’s level, with footwear sales reaching seven pairs per second. Women’s ethnic wear recorded four times its usual daily sales.
In beauty, one in every four products purchased on Amazon.in during the first 12 hours was a beauty product. Premium skincare and haircare products sold at a rate of more than 150 units per minute, while K-beauty products recorded sales at four times their usual daily level.
Festive Momentum Builds For Sellers
Saurabh Srivastava, Vice President, Amazon India, said the early trends had exceeded the company’s expectations, with new benchmarks across customer engagement, order volumes and delivery speed.
He attributed the response to product selection, competitive pricing and savings through Prime membership, bank discounts, exchange offers, no-cost EMIs and Amazon Pay Later.
The rise in sellers crossing Rs 1 crore in sales, alongside higher order volumes across categories, points to a strong start for businesses participating in the sale. However, the performance over the remainder of the festive season will determine whether the opening momentum translates into sustained growth for sellers.
