E-com fireworks in rural India this festival season

India's e-commerce giants, led by Flipkart, Amazon, and Meesho, are making a strategic push into Tier-II and -III cities and rural regions, where demand for online shopping is surging during the festival season.

- PEERZADA ABRAR

This expansion into less urbanised areas comes with its own set of logistical challenges, from vast terrains and unpredictable weather to limited internet and road connectivity. But with smaller towns becoming a major growth driver, e-commerce companies are scaling up infrastructure, technology, and personnel to navigate India's vast, complex geography.

Flipkart, for instance, has observed major changes in consumer behaviour beyond metro cities. Smaller towns are emerging as drivers of growth, especially during sales events like 'The Big Billion Days' (TBBD). Shopsy, Flipkart's value-commerce platform, reported engagement from over 2,800 small towns during TBBD, including from Tier-IV centres like Kamalapuram, Vadar, and Bhota.

Consumers in these regions are increasingly seeking quality, affordable products that suit their specific needs.

According to Harsh Chaudhary, Flipkart's vice-president of growth, "The top metro cities saw strong demand in the first 24 hours of TBBD 2024, but so did tier-2 and beyond cities, including Medinipur, Hisar, Berhampore, and Bankura." He credits enhanced customer experiences, including faster delivery through an expanded supply chain and tailored in-app offerings, for helping meet these diverse consumer demands.

Among categories, electronics, large appliances, fashion, mobiles, beauty, grooming, and home products are the most sought-after in rural India.