India’s value-commerce platforms shift from discounts to engagement-led growth

Shopsy, Amazon Bazaar and Snapdeal are adding personalization, gamification, creator content and localized discovery to drive repeat buying beyond low prices. The value lifestyle e-commerce market is projected to grow to $40 billion by 2030, from $4 billion in 2019.

— Source publishedMon, 21 Sept, 2026, 10:00 IST·First seen Mon, 21 Sept, 2026, 10:08 IST·Source Mint · Industry

What happened

Flipkart Shopsy · India’s value-commerce platforms are shifting from discount-led models toward AI personalization, gamification, creator content and localized

Key facts

  • Shopsy launched in 2021
  • Shopsy has more than 16 million products across 1,300-plus categories
  • Amazon Bazaar selection grew 3x over the past year
  • Amazon Bazaar customers and orders grew 5x
  • Amazon Bazaar tier-II and tier-III customers grew 8x

Why this matters

Value-commerce operators should pair sharp pricing with localized discovery, creator content and gamified personalization to convert fast-growing tier-II-plus acquisition into repeat purchasing.

What to watch

  • Repeat-order rate and 90-day retention improving faster than customer-acquisition spend.
  • Growth in orders per active shopper versus growth in discount and coupon expense.
  • Share of sales from personalized feeds, live/creator content and gamified campaigns.
  • Advertising, affiliate and seller-funded promotional revenue as a share of platform revenue.
  • Private-label and exclusive assortment penetration within high-frequency categories.