Myntra looks to add 1 million new customers during festive season sale

Myntra | Image: Shutterstock

E-commerce platform Myntra anticipates adding 1 million new customers to its 6 million existing ones during its festive season sale, which will begin on September 23 and run through the busiest month for e-commerce businesses. This is despite inflationary pressure and the resumption of offline shopping.

At the height of the sale, fashion etailer Myntra expects to process 13,000 orders every minute, and it intends to use the 21,000 kirana stores it has partnered with to fulfil 80 percent of the festive orders.

“After two years, people will be celebrating this festive in all its glory. We have already seen an uptick during Onam, Rakhi and Ganesh Chaturthi. Ethnic wear grew 2-times compared to usual days. Footwear also grew for us by 50%, we are already seeing the signs,” said Nandita Sinha, CEO of Myntra.

Myntra has partnered with over 6,000 brands. And, this festive season, the fashion e-tailer anticipates strong growth in categories such as beauty and personal, jewellery, footwear, as well as kidswear and other categories.

Through its partners, the market has generated 16,000 direct and indirect seasonal employment opportunities during the festive season. This includes over 2,500 women and 300 differently-abled personnel working in functions such as sorting, grading, and packing in key major hubs such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata.

According to a report by research firm RedSeer, the first week of the season is expected to see a 24 percent increase in sales at $5.9 billion, as reported by Moneycontrol. Fashion, cosmetics, and home decor are expected to see consistent growth. However, as COVID-19 restrictions ease, the resumption of offline shopping may eat into the growth of online sales.

Previously, Amazon and Flipkart, which owns Myntra, both announced the start of their annual festive sales from September 23 to September 30. According to industry estimates, the festive season in India, which begins before Dussehra and continues until Christmas, accounts for nearly 20 percent of the country's annual sales.

Both e-commerce marketplaces are focusing on making purchases more affordable by enabling easy credit, enabling live commerce features on the platforms, and expanding order fulfilment infrastructure ahead of sales.

Meanwhile, Meesho, a Softbank-backed e-commerce player that has emerged as a rival to both Amazon and Flipkart, has announced a festive sales programme that will begin on September 23.