Archive · 12 Oct 2026
Festive E-Commerce Sales Fall as Electronics Prices Weigh
Online festive shopping in India started with less money spent than last year.
Sales by value were down 7–10% in the first four days.
Phones and laptops cost more because some of their parts have become more expensive.
That may lead shoppers to wait before buying a new device.
But many people are still shopping online and placing orders.
Fashion sales grew strongly in the first two days.
Shoppers are also spreading their spending across more kinds of products.
Analysts expect many shoppers to keep taking part in the sales.
Festive e-commerce GMV fell an estimated 7–10% year-on-year in the first four days.
Sales from October 7–10 reached Rs 29,800–30,900 crore, compared with Rs 33,200 crore a year earlier.
Higher smartphone and laptop prices, driven by memory and component costs, are weighing on big-ticket purchases.
Order activity remained strong: RedSeer estimated 8–9 crore orders and 60–65 million shoppers over October 8–9.
Fashion GMV grew 22–25% in the first two days, while smartphones’ projected share of festive GMV fell to 30% from 35% in 2025.
- Who
- Indian online shoppers and e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart.
- What
- Festive e-commerce GMV fell an estimated 7–10% year-on-year in the first four days, despite strong order activity.
- When
- The initial sales period ran October 7–10, 2026; the article was published October 12, 2026.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- Higher memory and component costs have raised electronics prices, and the absence of a GST rate cut this year also contributed to the slower start, according to Datum Intelligence founder Satish Meena.
- GMV, October 7–10
- Rs 29,800–30,900 crore, compared with Rs 33,200 crore in the corresponding period last year.
- Estimated year-on-year GMV change
- Down 7–10% in the first four days.
- Platform GMV, October 8–9
- About $2.5 billion, or approximately Rs 24,000 crore, according to RedSeer Strategy Consultants.
- Orders and shoppers, October 8–9
- An estimated 8–9 crore orders and 60–65 million shoppers.
- Fashion GMV growth
- Up 22–25% year-on-year during the first two days; fashion represented 15–18% of overall sales.
- Projected smartphone share
- 30% of festive GMV this year, down from 35% in 2025, according to Datum Intelligence.
- Projected mobile sales growth
- 6%, compared with 26% last year, according to Datum Intelligence.
- Expected shoppers
- RedSeer expects 100 million shoppers to make purchases during the first 11-day phase.