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Online festive retail to cross $90 billion in 2026, with festive online retail projected to grow 25%, against 16% in 2025.
India festive season shopping 2026
India is spending big this festive season. Car sales are up 20% year-on-year, while electronics sales have risen 12-15%, as consumers spend more on premium products, home upgrades and online festive purchases.
Dealer retail car sales rose about 20% year-on-year, with Maruti Suzuki’s Onam retail sales up 61% and Hyundai’s nearly doubling. Refrigerator, air-conditioner and washing-machine volumes rose 12-15%, while value sales increased 18-23%, partly due to higher prices. Large-screen TVs, four-door refrigerators, large washing machines and air-conditioners also saw strong demand.
Department-store chains reported strong double-digit growth in apparel and footwear, including average billing value. Atul Thakkar, a trader, told ANI that prices had risen across categories ahead of Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali, and sales could increase by around 5% or more.
Consumer durables and electronics makers are betting on premiumisation, with a longer festive window and offers expected to support demand.
Home upgrades become a festive priority
Speaking to News18, Kishan Jain, Director, Goldmedal Electricals, said consumers were increasingly investing in home upgrades, particularly wiring devices, home automation and LED lighting. “Consumers today are evaluating electrical products not just on price, but on design, convenience and energy efficiency,” Jain told News18.
He said consumers were showing greater interest in modular switches, home automation solutions and premium LED lighting. According to Jain, festive purchases are increasingly being viewed as part of home improvement rather than purely functional buying. “Essentially, Indian homes are becoming more contemporary, and consumers want their electrical fixtures to reflect that,” Jain said.
Hospitality is also seeing stronger demand. Olive Hospitality CEO and Cofounder Kahraman Yigit said advance bookings were up from last year, while group and corporate bookings had grown 39%. Bengaluru was among the cities witnessing particularly strong demand, with travellers seeking food, social experiences and comfortable spaces beyond hotel rooms.
LG Electronics India’s co-chief sales and marketing officer Sanjay Chitkara told Moneycontrol that early indicators from Independence Day and Onam showed improving demand, particularly for large-screen TVs, large refrigerators and premium washing machines. Air-conditioners were also selling well despite being in the off-season.
Haier Appliances India CEO NS Satish said that larger-capacity refrigerators, washing machines and large-screen televisions were performing well. He said consumers with purchasing power were willing to stretch their budgets for better specifications despite prices rising 11-15% since January.
Quick commerce enters the festive basket
Quick commerce recorded a sharp rise during Ganesh Chaturthi. Swiggy Instamart reported a 176% year-on-year jump in demand for eco-friendly clay idols, with ready-to-place idols accounting for 90% of orders.
As per reports, Delhi recorded a 1,718% rise in eco-Ganpati orders, followed by Kolkata at 1,305%, Noida at 1,136% and Bhubaneswar at 1,132%.
Mawa modaks were the most-ordered variety, with demand rising 145%. Flower orders peaked at 7:42 am at 868 orders a minute, followed by idols at 8:48 am, puja essentials at 9:45 am and modaks at 10:39 am.
Flipkart Minutes reported 2.5-times growth across festive categories. Ganesh idol orders rose fivefold and modak demand fourfold. Patna, Lucknow and Guwahati recorded eightfold growth, while Gen Z demand increased threefold. The busiest period was 6 am-11 am.
$90 billion online festive market
As per reports, Redseer Strategy Consultants expects online festive retail to cross $90 billion in 2026, with festive online retail projected to grow 25%, against 16% in 2025. Grocery is expected to grow 48-50%, home and furniture 32-35%, beauty and personal care 35-40%, fashion 20-22% and electronics 15-17%.
Quick commerce could account for nearly one-fifth of festive online retail. The segment reached about $9 billion in H1 2026, while monthly transacting users rose from 8 million in H1 2023 to more than 60 million in H1 2026. Festive quick-commerce growth is projected at 110-120% year-on-year.
Consumers spend more, but choose carefully
MiQ’s Festive Shopper Insights 2026, based on more than 5,700 shoppers, found that 45% planned to increase festive spending. Jewellery had the highest purchase intent, followed by home appliances and personal gadgets.
The report found that 43% discover brands through AI search, compared with 30% through e-commerce and 27% through social media. Brand loyalty was the strongest purchase driver for 38%, followed by deals at 34% and celebrity endorsements at 29%.
MTR Foods CEO Sunay Bhasin said consumers were continuing to indulge while becoming more discerning, with trusted brands, quality ingredients and premium experiences gaining importance.
With Diwali falling in November, brands and retailers have a longer promotional window from September to mid-November. Maruti Suzuki has a pending order book of roughly 180,000 vehicles, while Hyundai is advancing its third plant shift.
However, the recovery remains uneven. Premium categories and organised retail are performing strongly, while mass-market demand remains more sensitive to inflation. Prices have risen 12-15% for appliances and TVs, 35-40% for laptops and smartphones, and 3.5-5% for cars, meaning part of the value growth reflects inflation rather than higher volumes.
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Ask News18Dealer retail car sales rose about 20% year-on-year, with Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai seeing massive spikes, while group and corporate travel bookings surged by 39%.
Ask News18About the Author
Shuddhanta Patra is an Indian journalist with about nine years of experience in covering national politics, geopolitics, defence, diplomacy and international affairs. Her reporting focuses on South As…Read More
Delhi, India, India
September 19, 2026, 2:26 PM IST
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