October 3, 2025

The festival of Navratri has sparked a huge wave of shopping excitement in India! According to a fresh report by e-commerce enabler GoKwik, beauty and personal care items made up a sizzling 27.8% of all Navratri orders. That's just a whisker ahead of fashion and apparel, which stood at 27.73%. Together, these two categories made up half the festive shopping pie, proving once again that beauty and fashion are the heart and soul of India's festival e-commerce. The festive season brought a 25% jump in direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales compared to last year, showing that more shoppers trust online brands like never before. Bracelets stole the show as the most popular purchase across all categories, highlighting how accessories are still a must-have for young buyers during the festival frenzy. Not far behind, agarbatti orders saw a spicy 44% rise, proving their evergreen place in Navratri pujas. Shoppers also flocked to beauty care kits, traditional lehenga cholis, gift hampers, and vibrant children's outfits. The trend of premium shopping was clear: customers opted for richer, high-quality products. The average order value jumped 18% overall – with fashion up 17% and jewellery orders soaring 20%. Chirag Taneja, Co-Founder and CEO of GoKwik, noted, "It is no surprise that Indian festivals are massive economic engines, with Navratri leading up to Diwali at the forefront. For merchants, the festive season is no longer just a spike. It is a strategic opportunity to build deeper consumer confidence and capture long-term growth. This year, we are seeing higher prepaid adoption and lower cancellations, demonstrating greater trust in D2C brands." This trust was seen in the numbers – cancellations dropped by 3.8 percentage points versus earlier in 2024. Prepaid orders jumped sharply, especially in big cities. Bengaluru led the pack with prepaid orders climbing from 54% to 64%. Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad also showed impressive increases. When it comes to places, western and southern India took the lead. Maharashtra and Karnataka stood out as the strongest states in festive ecommerce growth. Metro areas together grew by a whopping 44% compared to the 25% national average. Cultural flavors showed up too: in Eastern India during Durga Puja, sarees were king with 47% of all orders. Jewellery took the second spot at 16%, followed by kids' wear and small idols. The festive shopping season is shining brighter than ever, mixing tradition with smart online buying. So, users are calling Navratri not just a religious festival, but a big ecommerce party too!

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Tags: Navratri, Festive ecommerce, Beauty products, Fashion, Gokwik report, D2c brands,