India's festive shoppers spent more online in 2026, but the bigger story is what they bought and how. A new report by Datum Intelligence puts gross merchandise value (GMV) at Rs 1,40,800 crore over 34 sale days through November 9. That is 17% more than the Rs 1.2 lakh crore recorded in 2025.

The headline number needs one adjustment. This year's sale season ran four days longer than last year's 30-day window. Measured per day, average sales come to roughly Rs 4,141 crore against about Rs 4,000 crore last year, which is growth of only around 3–4%. The longer calendar did a lot of the work behind the 17% figure.

The Smartphone Problem

Smartphones have long been the main draw of festive e-commerce, and they were the biggest drag this year. Mobile phones contributed about 25% of festive GMV, down sharply from 35.2% in 2025.

Online smartphone sales volumes fell 25–33%, while average selling prices rose 16–19%, partly because memory components cost more. The overall value of smartphone sales dropped about 15%. The report says that without this contraction, festive growth would have been closer to 22%.

The pattern points to a buyer who is either delaying an upgrade or skipping it as phones get pricier. For brands that build their year around the Diwali window, that is a warning sign.

Where the Money Went Instead

The fastest growth came from formats that barely mattered a few years ago. Quick commerce orders rose 75% year-on-year as ten-minute delivery apps moved beyond groceries into festive gifting, electronics accessories and home goods. Brand websites grew 27–30%, a sign that direct-to-consumer labels are winning loyal customers away from big platforms.

Traditional marketplaces grew orders by only 8%. The platforms themselves still reported solid numbers, though their disclosures used different periods and metrics and can't be compared directly. Amazon said its shopping volume was up more than 50% by November 3. Flipkart reported up to 22% growth in orders, units sold and buyers during its 11-day 'Big Billion Days' sale. Meesho said orders jumped 75% on the opening day of its Mega Blockbuster Sale, with the number of ordering customers up 60%.

Payment data shows the same shift. Online card transactions rose 7% over the first 32 sale days, but their total value fell 6%. The average card payment dropped 13% to Rs 5,970 from Rs 6,830. Shoppers placed more orders but spent less on each, which suits quick commerce baskets better than big-ticket electronics.

A Late Surge

Spending was heavily weighted towards the end of the season. The fourth week and the final four days together grew 71% over the same period last year, suggesting many buyers held off for deeper discounts or later paydays.

Taken together, the 2026 season shows Indian e-commerce changing more than it is slowing. The festive cart is getting smaller, faster and more spread across platforms, and the smartphone no longer drives it. For marketplaces, the challenge next year will be competing on speed as well as price.

With inputs from IANS