Pune: Quick commerce players are eyeing a big share of festive sales afterseeing record-breaking numbers during Ganeshotsav andRakshabandhan festivities.The easy and quick availability of products — from small items such as rakhi and puja prasad to electrical appliances — helped people make purchases on these online platforms.“Most of the purchases on quick commerce are for last-minute things. We shopped for almost Rs 1,000 each day on quick commerce during the Ganesh festival. This year, the assortment and variety of things available are huge,” said Darshan Mehta, a resident of Baner.Many residents are also banking on quick commerce platforms for Navaratra and Diwali shopping.“There are huge crowds in the markets during festivals, so it is better to get essentials delivered to your doorstep, that too at a discounted rate,” said Shailaja Dhotre, a resident of Kharadi.The q-commerce portals are gearing up for Navaratra and Diwali by expanding their product line and including gold coins, too.“Instamart has been preparing for thefestive season for the past three months.We continue to add a wider assortment, includingdiyas, puja essentials, sweets, gifting across budgets, and fasting essentials. For Dhanteras, customers will find gold and silver coins from brands like Kalyan, Malabar and Muthoot,”said a Swiggy Instamart spokesperson.A report by Datum Intelligence showed that the quick commerce sector is expected to account for about USD1.6 billion in sales, approximately 12% of total online sales this festive season.Festive sales on quick commerce platforms were about 8% of the total online sales last year. The net order value is expected to grow by about 25-30% during the festive quarter.Zepto, a popular q-commerce platform, doubled itslast year’s peak sales.It saw a 30% rise in average order value, and a 150% surge in volumes compared to the same time last year.“At Zepto, festive planning is scientific as well as hyperlocal. Our sellers stock festival-specific items guided by store-level heatmaps, user intent signals, and market insights, ensuring high availability. This year, we have onboarded 50% more brands,”said Devendra Meel, chief business officer, Zepto.Another platform,Blinkit, will sell the latest iPhone 17 from Sept 19 to cater to the festive buying.
