77% of searches for online gifting come from Tier II and Tier III cities: Flipkart

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24 Feb 2020, Pune- India’s shopping patterns have undergone a marked change in the last decade. With increasing access to the internet and rising smartphone penetration across the country, more people are looking to shop online. This digital transformation has provided consumers with access to a wide variety of products delivered to their doorstep. Today, consumers are looking at e-commerce platforms not just to shop for themselves but as a place where they can buy gifts for their loved ones.

Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, has witnessed a spike in gift searches on its platform during the festive months of February, August, October and December. Searches from North India in particular, increase during the months of October to December.

On average, about ~6 million searches on the Flipkart platform are from the Books, General Merchandise and Home Categories. With a rapid surge in the number of pin codes being served, 77% of these searches now come from Tier II and Tier III cities. Demand for home décor products, which are a popular gifting option, reach an all-time high during special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Rakhi, Diwali and Christmas. Artificial flowers, mugs, cushions and greeting cards are some other popular gift options, with consumers showing a penchant for buying gift combos. Food and nutrition combos such as chocolates, dry fruits and sweets too have seen a tremendous growth of nearly 20x since January last year.

To match the growing demand for gifts on the platform, Flipkart plans to expand its offerings with curated hampers and combos, providing its consumers with an array of options to choose from, across festivals. This includes creating special festival-based shop fronts and landing pages specifically for gifting needs, making it easier and more convenient for customers to navigate and find what they are looking for.