Resurfacing a September move: quick-commerce festive order volumes jumped over 85%, outpacing e-commerce

Unicommerce's analysis of 40 million-plus transactions, first reported in late September 2025, found quick-commerce orders rose more than 85% year on year in the first six days of the 2025 festive sale period. E-commerce orders grew 21%, while Tier-II and Tier-III cities accounted for about 58% of transactions.

— Source publishedMon, 29 Sept, 2025, 13:34 IST·First seen Sun, 27 Sept, 2026, 19:45 IST·Source Business Standard (via Wayback)

What happened

Unicommerce data shows Indian quick-commerce festive order volumes grew over 85% YoY in the first sale week, outpacing e-commerce. FMCG, beauty, health and

Key facts

  • Quick-commerce order volumes rose over 85% YoY
  • E-commerce orders rose 21% YoY
  • Brand website volumes rose 31%
  • Tier-II and Tier-III cities accounted for about 58% of transactions
  • Metro and Tier-I volumes rose 22%; Tier-II and Tier-III volumes rose 20%
  • IGP expects quick commerce to contribute 15-20% of festival sales
  • IGP expects overall festive sales growth of 25-30% YoY
  • Gifting has grown at about 30% CAGR over two to three years
  • LoveLocal anticipates 14x festive-season GMV growth
  • Analysis covered over 40 million transactions

Why this matters

The growth gap makes quick-commerce partnerships, last-mile logistics assets, and regional merchant networks increasingly strategic acquisition or alliance targets.

What to watch

  • Whether quick-commerce average order values and contribution margins rise alongside order volumes after discounts are removed.
  • Repeat purchase rates in the 30-60 days following festive campaigns.
  • Dark-store launches and serviceability expansion in Tier-II and Tier-III cities by Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart and regional operators.
  • Stock-out rates, delivery-time slippage and cancellation rates during peak festive windows.
  • Brand advertising and trade-spend migration from marketplaces and modern trade into quick-commerce retail media.
  • Regulatory or labor-cost changes affecting delivery economics and dark-store operating models.
  • Increase festive inventory depth in high-velocity emergency categories: sweets, gifting, personal care, snacks, beverages, puja supplies, small electronics accessories and home essentials.
  • Build city-cluster assortments and replenishment models for Tier-II/III markets, where local brands, regional festive preferences and stock availability can outperform national SKU uniformity.
  • Use e-commerce purchase signals to target quick-commerce replenishment and add-on offers, especially after large-ticket purchases such as appliances, fashion and electronics.
  • Measure incremental demand versus cannibalization by tracking customer overlap, repeat frequency, basket composition, contribution margin and post-promotion retention.
  • Prioritize dark-store capacity, picker productivity and last-mile rider availability for peak festival evenings, when service failures can rapidly shift customers to competitors.