Shiprocket has revealed interesting insights around the festive e-commerce opportunity for India. The platform estimates the Indian e-commerce opportunity to be a staggering $13 billion for the Indian MSMEs during the festive season. According to data, an impressive 56 per cent of their order volume originates from non-metro cities. This underscores the rapid adoption of online shopping and digital transactions in smaller towns and rural areas. In this spirit, MSMEs from tier-2, tier-3 and tier-4 cities are expecting higher Diwali gift orders than sellers from metro cities. 

With the gaining eCommerce traction, the Unicorn anticipates that around 10-15 per cent of the total order volume will be attributed to first-time shoppers. Delhi NCR leads the charge with a commanding 28 per cent share of festive sales, closely followed by Mumbai at 13 per cent and Bengaluru at 7 per cent, as observed in the festive sales data. With Delhi NCR being a thriving business environment, including a high number of MSMEs, this economic activity is fueling consumer spending during the festive season.  

In categories, personal care products emerge as the frontrunners during the festive season. Additionally, the company is poised to enable merchants in other leading segments, such as Apparel, footwear, electronics, home decor, and books and ebooks. The platform is also witnessing a rise in festive exports from India during the festive season. The leading categories for global exports are artificial jewellery, beauty and grooming, clothing and accessories, healthcare, books, automotive accessories, home furnishings and decor, and pet supplies. This demand is mostly driven by the USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, France and UAE.