Small Tickets, Big Volumes: 85% of Diwali 2026 Orders Below ₹1,000, Finds Unicommerce

Prepaid payments accounted for 61% of festive orders, while quick commerce recorded 75% growth in order volumes and D2C brands strengthened their direct consumer connections.

India’s 2026 Diwali shopping season highlights a shift in consumer behaviour, with shoppers increasingly turning to Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) websites for specific purchases and quick commerce platforms for convenience-led, last-minute shopping.

According to Unicommerce, overall e-commerce order volumes grew 21% year-on-year (YoY) during the festive period. The analysis covered more than 138 million order items processed through Uniware, Unicommerce’s flagship e-commerce management platform, across the 2025 and 2026 festive cycles.

The study compared the peak festive window from 6 October to 4 November 2026 with the corresponding period from 17 September to 16 October 2025.

Affordable Purchases Drive Festive Order Volumes

Unicommerce’s data shows that orders valued below ₹1,000 accounted for 85% of total festive orders. This highlights the strong contribution of affordable, everyday and low-ticket purchases to India’s festive e-commerce market.

Fashion accessories, organic foods, personal care and everyday lifestyle products were among the key contributors to this segment. These categories reflect the growing importance of accessible products in driving online shopping volumes.

Quick Commerce and D2C Channels Record Strong Growth

Specialised commerce channels played an important role in the 2026 festive season. Quick commerce and D2C websites recorded stronger growth rates than traditional online marketplaces.

• Quick Commerce: Order volumes increased by 75%, while Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) grew by 38%. This growth highlights the rising popularity of quick commerce beyond convenience-led purchases.
• D2C Brands: Direct-to-Consumer websites recorded a 30% increase in order volumes and a 26% rise in GMV, showing stronger consumer engagement with brand-owned platforms.
• Online Marketplaces: Marketplaces continued to account for the largest share of overall order volumes. They recorded 8% growth in volumes and 6% growth in value.

Tier-3 Cities Lead Regional E-commerce Growth

India’s Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are becoming increasingly important to the country’s online shopping market. Unicommerce’s analysis highlights the growing contribution of consumers beyond major metropolitan areas.

• Tier-3 Cities: These markets accounted for 41% of festive order volumes, with a 26% YoY increase.
• Tier-2 Cities: They contributed 24% of total volumes and recorded 23% growth.
• Tier-1 Cities: Major metropolitan markets accounted for 34% of festive orders, with comparatively moderate growth of 13%.

The findings underline the expanding reach of e-commerce across smaller cities and emerging consumption hubs.

Prepaid Payments Reflect Growing Digital Confidence

Prepaid transactions accounted for 61% of all festive orders, according to Unicommerce’s analysis. This points to growing consumer confidence in digital commerce and online payment systems.

The shift was particularly strong in Tier-3 cities, where prepaid transaction volumes increased by more than 40% year-on-year. Cities such as Kolar, Kamrup, Gandhinagar and Rohtak reflect this trend, with consumers increasingly choosing digital payments to access upfront platform rewards.

Overall, the findings highlight how affordable purchases, faster delivery options, D2C platforms and wider digital payment adoption are shaping India’s evolving e-commerce landscape.