FESTIVE DEMAND ON FIRE

India's festive October has once again triggered its biggest consumer spending cycle, led by ecommerce, autos and jewellery

- BY ASHISH SINHA

THE ONLINE festive season, which kicked off with flash previews ahead of Navratri, is projected to touch Rs 1,20,000-1,25,000 crore in gross merchandise value (GMV) this year — a jump of nearly 25 to 30 per cent over 2024 — powered by buy-now-pay-later schemes, hyper-personalised app push notifications, and early access for premium members.

High-ticket shopping is clearly back this festive season: premium smartphones, smart TVs, home appliances and pre-approved credit cards are fuelling bigger average order values even as affordability EMIs stay the most-clicked category.

Offline retail was also not sitting out. High streets and malls have reported mid-to-high teen growth, with premium fashion chains, beauty and personal care, and grocery baskets doing the heavy lifting. Retailers say weekday footfall now looks like pre-Covid weekends. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities have reportedly been found driving fresh volume, not just metros, and cashback-plus-exchange bundles have been found to be the sharpest demand trigger, say experts.

The automotive sector has also been riding a wave. Passenger vehicle bookings were up over 30 per cent year-on-year, SUVs still dominating. The CNG variants are no longer niche, and luxury nameplates are clocking their strongest-ever festive quarter. Unsold BS6 inventory was aggressively discounted, and brands were openly pushing instant delivery as a differentiator. Two-wheeler sales bounced back strongly on rural appetite, and marriage season sentiment.