E-commerce platforms are anticipating a surge in sales ahead of the holiday season. The sector is reportedly planning to hire 10 lakh gig workers and 2.5 lakh contractual staff this festive season.
Platforms like Blinkit and Instamart have introduced various offers, including discounts on sweets and selling rakhis, in anticipation of the festive season. As per e-commerce platform GoKwik, there will be a significant 40 per cent increase in sales during the upcoming festive period. Data from GoKwik's network, covering 4,000+ D2C brands, shows a 38 per cent GMV increase and a 49 per cent jump in orders in July compared to June.
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This surge indicates that the festive shopping season has started earlier than usual, fueled by online shopping. Balasubramanian A, TeamLease Services senior VP and business head, told PTI that the e-commerce sector is set to significantly drive sales and boost job creation this festive season. He reportedly added that the sector is preparing to hire for various positions, including delivery drivers, warehouse staff, and customer service representatives, as well as roles in packaging, labeling, quality control, and order fulfillment.
Swiggy Instamart has teamed up with Rakhi Sawant for the upcoming Rakhi festival. Sawant will deliver personalised messages and design rakhis as part of this collaboration with Instamart. Additionally, Blinkit has been giving free rakhis to some users as a part of the order. “The shift towards D2C brands is becoming more pronounced, with consumers valuing the direct connection, personalised experiences, and unique offerings these brands provide,” said Chirag Taneja, Co-Founder and CEO of GoKwik. These festive seasons have become an important source for platforms to earn revenue. After Mother’s Day, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal posted on X, “We have surpassed our highest orders today!”
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During last year's festive season, fashion, beauty and personal care, and electronics were the top-selling categories. However, beauty accessories saw the highest increase in orders at 50 per cent, followed by fashion with a 36 per cent rise, as per GoKwik.
The Quick Commerce Boom
Recently, Zomato mentioned in an investor call that Blinkit would increase its dark stores to 2,000 by 2026. “Most of these stores would be in the top 10 cities in India. Beyond the large cities, the size of the market is still undiscovered,” said Albinder Dhindsa, chief executive of Blinkit. Flipkart, which launched its quick commerce platform ‘Flipkart Minutes’ recently, is also planning to open nearly 100 dark stores for its Big Billion sale.
To add to the race, reports say that Ola will also join the quick commerce space. The announcement for the same will be made by the company on August 15. Zepto also recently raised a $340 million fresh fund, which increases the valuation of the company to $5 billion. While Mars Growth is investing around $50 million in the company, $250 million is reportedly coming from General Catalyst.
To add to it, third-party companies such as Delhivery and XpressBees are also planning to enter the quick commerce space. The large warehouses of Instamart, for example, are being managed by Delhivery, as per an Economic Times report. These warehouses cater to fulfillment centers and small dark stores.
