The two largest e-commerce platforms in India, Amazon India and Flipkart, have launched their annual major seasonal sales: Amazon Great Indian Festival (GIF) 2026 and The Big Billion Days (TBBD) 2026. Both companies reported high levels of consumer participation, a sharp increase in demand across various product categories, and increased use of fast delivery options in regions outside major metropolitan areas.
Amazon reported that over 440 million visits were registered during the initial phase of its sale, marking the highest figure in the platform's history. There was a 100% growth in orders compared to the previous year, and daily app downloads increased fivefold. Over 72% of all visitors came from regions outside the nine largest cities. The number of first-time buyers almost doubled year-on-year, and orders were received from every postal code in the country.
Meanwhile, Flipkart recorded 6.3 million concurrent users during peak load, attracting more than six times the active users compared to an ordinary hour. The platform also noted 287 million sessions registered during the early access period for Plus, Black program members, and co-cardholders.
Non-metro markets accounted for about 60% of the total activity volume, with tier three cities and below contributing nearly half of all visits in the first hour. During the same period, the number of new customers grew by 34%. Amazon highlighted exceptional momentum in the electronics and premium upgrades segments. Sales of premium Android smartphones grew by 70% compared to last year, while MacBook Neo sales increased 65 times compared to a normal workday. Large home appliances showed a 50-fold increase, led by washing machines (80 times), refrigerators (60 times), and home entertainment systems (77 times).
In the fashion sector, shoe sales speed reached seven pairs per second, and Nike sales grew 16 times compared to normal days. Denim clothing sales exceeded 1500 pairs per hour, and premium cosmetics sold at a rate of 150 units per minute.
Flipkart reported high demand for large home appliances, which grew by 30% year-on-year in the first hour, as well as a 73% rise in tablet sales. Overall cosmetic sales on Flipkart increased by 42%, and among Gen Z buyers, by 48%, driven by the growth in men's grooming. During peak hours, Flipkart processed over 1600 units of men's fragrances per minute. Regarding engagement, over 12.7 million users utilized Flipkart's live commerce and video shopping features, with 64% of voice search users coming from tier two markets and above.
Fast order fulfillment became a key area of competition on both platforms. Amazon stated that it fulfills orders within minutes in over 120 cities served by Amazon Now. Flipkart Minutes service showed a 3.5-fold increase in order volumes compared to normal days, and the number of new customers increased elevenfold in the first hour. A record delivery example was the handover of an iPhone 17 to a customer in New Delhi in just 3.4 minutes.
The conversion of high-value purchases was stimulated by accessibility options. Half of Amazon's buyers utilized installment options (EMI), transactions via Amazon Pay Later doubled, and the user base grew by 80% year-on-year. Similarly, Flipkart reported that one in three mobile device buyers chose interest-free installments, and one in four used exchange offers.
Seller participation expanded on both platforms. Amazon reported that sellers listed more than twice the quantity of goods in the first 24 hours compared to last year, with sellers earning over 1 crore rupees in sales, exceeding growth by more than 80%. Growth categories for sellers were led by cosmetics (7 times), kitchenware (4.2 times), and wireless devices (3.4 times).
Some key partner brands demonstrated a significant surge, such as Philips (10 times higher than the baseline), Reebok (doubling sales year-on-year), WROGN (10 times higher than the baseline), and Penguin Random House India (nearly 50% growth year-on-year).
Flipkart noted that 51% of transacting sellers doubled their standard daily activity during the early access period. Sellers based in tier two markets and above, such as small businesses and SMEs, achieved a 2.9-fold growth, with manufacturing and trade centers, including Bhiwandi, Panipat, Tirupur, and Hisar, leading the sales momentum.
