Half of festive fashion orders below ₹1,000 as Indian shoppers prioritise value

Consumption is not seeing a slowdown but Indian shoppers have become considerably more selective about what makes it into their shopping carts. Half of all online fashion orders during September and October 2026 were priced below ₹1,000, even as purchases above ₹3,000 accounted for just 11.8% of orders but contributed more than 41% of total sales value, according to a report by retail technology firm Fynd.

The findings point to a value-driven consumption mindset, with shoppers balancing affordability on everyday purchases against higher spending on products they believe justify the price. The report, which analysed shopping patterns across more than 65 brands on eight marketplaces, including Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon, AJIO, Nykaa, JioMart, Tata CLiQ and Tata CLiQ Luxury, also found that footwear overtook clothing as the largest online fashion category during the festive period.

Average festive discounts rose to 46% in 2026 from 34% last year, with nearly half of all orders sold at discounts exceeding 50%. Despite the deeper promotions, the spending pattern suggests that consumers were not necessarily buying more indiscriminately but were responding to deals while remaining conscious of their budgets.

Ragini Varma, chief business officer, India, Fynd, said, "This festive season unfolded against a very different backdrop. Consumers were navigating higher borrowing costs, elevated fuel prices, global geopolitical uncertainty, and continued pressure on household budgets. In that environment, value emerged as the defining theme of the season."

Footwear overtakes clothing as shoppers prioritise utility

Footwear accounted for 52.7% of all festive orders and 58.4% of total sales value, compared with 33% of orders in 2025. Clothing, meanwhile, saw its share decline from 48% to 34.5%, indicating a moderation in discretionary fashion purchases as consumers prioritised products with greater everyday utility.

The geographical distribution of demand also changed. Eastern India accounted for 20.8% of festive orders, with West Bengal emerging as the country's second-largest ordering state. Tier 2 markets strengthened their contribution to online fashion demand, with their share of orders increasing from 19% in 2025 to around 35% in 2026.

Tier 1 cities continued to account for approximately 43% of orders but contributed 56% of gross merchandise value (GMV), indicating higher average spending in larger urban markets.

The marketplace landscape also became more competitive. Myntra and Flipkart continued to lead, but their combined share declined from 89% to 76.8%, as AJIO, Amazon and JioMart gained traction.

Online payments accounted for 56.5% of all orders, with prepaid adoption particularly strong across eastern markets. The overall return rate stood at 11.8%, while clothing recorded a return rate of 14.9% and footwear 10.5%.