Amazon and Flipkart have set the tone for a firecracker start to India’s festive online shopping season, with no-cost EMIs and discounts fuelling big-ticket purchases, and the number of Amazon sellers crossing ₹1 crore in opening-day sales jumping over 80 per cent year-on-year. Hero MotoCorp’s two-wheeler sales surged 30-fold, Samsonite’s premium luggage business grew 200 per cent, and Philips domestic appliances recorded tenfold demand, while Flipkart drew more than six times its usual number of shoppers during the opening hour of its Big Billion Days sale.
More than one-third of Amazon customers opted for EMIs, while Amazon Pay Later EMI transactions doubled. At Flipkart, one in three mobile customers chose no-cost EMIs and one in four used exchanges, indicating how financing and trade-ins helped make upgrades affordable.
“We’ve seen a record 100 per cent increase in products ordered and are humbled to see aspirations becoming affordable with extra savings for Prime members, instant bank discounts, exchange, no-cost EMI, Amazon Pay Later and a host of value-driving programs,” said Saurabh Srivastava, Vice President, Amazon India.
Two-wheelers emerged among the more striking categories. Hero MotoCorp’s Ashutosh Varma, Chief Business Officer, India Business Unit, said sales reached 30 times regular-day levels in the first 48 hours, led by the Destini 125 scooter and Xtreme 125R motorcycle. Over 70 per cent of buyers came from Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets across more than 400 PIN codes.
Premiumisation was visible beyond vehicles. Samsonite India CEO Jai Krishnan said the luggage maker’s premium portfolio was attracting stronger demand, with Samsonite growing 200 per cent year-on-year in the first 24 hours, against 60 per cent for American Tourister.
The buying extended to kitchen appliances and home improvement. Gulbahar Taurani, MD and CEO of Versuni India, which markets Philips domestic appliances, reported tenfold regular-day demand, led by cooking appliances and mixers. Solara founder Gopal Kolli reported 35-fold sales, driven by air fryers and cold-press juicers.
Higher-value household products also found buyers. Eureka Forbes Chief Growth Officer Anurag Kumar reported the company’s biggest-ever festival opening day, with premium water purifiers and robotic vacuum cleaners performing strongly.
Televisions measuring 55 inches and above accounted for 65 per cent of Amazon’s TV units sold, while washing machines of 9 kg and above sold at 80 times regular-day levels.
Demand was not confined to durable goods. Reebok India Brand Head Arjun Ramamoorthy reported that sales more than doubled year-on-year, while WROGN Co-Founder Anjana Reddy said the fashion brand recorded tenfold regular-day sales.
RENÉE Cosmetics E-commerce Head Jitendra Rawal reported opening-day sales doubling year-on-year, while Penguin Random House India CEO Gaurav Shrinagesh reported nearly 50 per cent growth over two days.
Speaking to businessline ahead of the festival, Aman Deep Lohan, Director, Home, Kitchen and Outdoors, Amazon India, said its automotive business was growing approximately 70 per cent year-on-year.
The marketplace offers petrol and electric two-wheelers from nearly 20 brands, including TVS Motor, Ather Energy, Hero and Bajaj Chetak. Lohan said no-cost EMIs spanning three to 12 months were encouraging customers to choose higher-specification products.
Flipkart recorded 6.3 million concurrent users at peak during its opening hour, with new customers increasing 34 per cent. Large appliances grew 30 per cent year-on-year, tablets 73 per cent and beauty products 42 per cent.
Nearly half of first-hour visits came from Tier 3 towns and beyond, while non-metro markets accounted for about 60 per cent of demand.
Amazon recorded over 440 million visits during its early festive phase, with more than 72 per cent coming from outside the nine largest metros.
Published on October 11, 2026
