Amazon, Flipkart kick off flagship festival sales, brace for record demand

Amazon, Flipkart kick off flagship festive season sales, brace for record demand

India’s largest online retailers Amazon and Flipkart have kicked off their flagship festival sales — the Great Indian Festival and Big Billion Days (BBD) — setting the stage for what could be their biggest shopping season yet. The sales mark the start of the most crucial shopping period of the year, typically accounting for nearly a fourth of the platforms’ annual revenues.

Members of Flipkart Black and Amazon Prime, their respective subscription plans, get a 24-hour head start with early access beginning September 22.

This year’s editions come just a day after the new goods and services tax (GST) regime takes effect, slashing rates on big-ticket appliances such as air-conditioners, televisions and dishwashers from 28 percent to 18 percent. The timing is expected to boost affordability and demand in categories that have historically been major festive drivers.

Flipkart kicked off the 12th edition of The Big Billion Days with celebrations at its Bengaluru campus on September 21. Group CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy set an ambitious tone, highlighting the company’s aim to serve a billion people during the season.

Flipkart expects 250–300 million unique visitors during BBD itself and over 350 million across the festival period. Backed by a workforce of 400,000 across warehouses, fulfilment centres and delivery networks, the platform said it will cover 19,500 pin codes from 4,500 locations.

“The Big Billion Days 2025 is shaping up to be our strongest yet. Early momentum is unmistakable — demand for high-value categories such as electronics and large appliances is up, with the recent GST slab rationalisation acting as a strong trigger for upgrades,” said Pratik Shetty, vice president of growth & marketing at Flipkart.

He also pointed to strong momentum from Tier-2 and 3 cities and Gen Z shoppers, who are driving engagement through live commerce, short-form video and influencer-led showcases.

Flipkart has scaled up to more than 100 fulfilment centres and nearly 400 micro-fulfilment hubs across 19 cities. Its dual supply chain strategy includes express deliveries through Flipkart Minutes, while festive hiring has added more than 2.2 lakh jobs, with 20 percent of the workforce in larger facilities now women.

Amazon has readied its network with 12 new fulfilment centres, six sortation hubs and over 1.5 lakh seasonal work opportunities across 400 cities. The company has also expanded its checkout financing options, including Amazon Pay Later, as it looks to capture spending across categories.

A report by Datum Intelligence estimates that festival season sales in 2025 could rise by as much as 27 percent to Rs 1.2 lakh crore – up from nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in 2024 and Rs 81,000 crore in 2023.

With pent-up demand from August, GST cuts in place, and early access unlocking this weekend, both platforms are positioning for what could be one of the strongest festive seasons yet for India’s $1.2 lakh crore e-commerce market.