Brands
What India bought for Valentine’s Day: Flipkart report
Searches rise 1.26x as fashion, decor and beauty dominate Valentine’s Week
BENGALURU: Valentine’s Day in India is no longer a single-date affair. New data from Flipkart shows the occasion has stretched into a full-fledged shopping season, marked by higher searches, faster fulfilment and more expressive gifting.
Flipkart’s latest #FlipTrends report shows overall demand on the platform rose 1.42 times between 7 and 12 February, 2026, as Valentine’s Week gathered momentum. Search queries increased 1.26 times, while orders climbed 1.41 times, led by fashion, home decor and beauty categories. Cookies, biscuits, watches, stuffed toys and chocolates ranked among the most popular gifting choices.
Shopping patterns pointed to celebrations becoming increasingly home-led and personal. Demand for decor items such as showpieces, lights and artificial flowers rose 1.6 times, signalling a shift from grand gestures to curated experiences. As the week progressed, purchases tilted towards cakes, pastries and mugs, reflecting last-minute planning.
Quick commerce played a defining role. Flipkart Minutes recorded a 7 times year-on-year growth between 7 and 14 February, with 14 February seeing peak order activity. Order values surged between 9 and 10 am, followed by a second spike between 7 and 8 pm.
Discovery was driven by ‘RelationShop’, Flipkart’s in-app experience built around modern relationship stages, from ‘situationship’ to ‘moving on’. The ‘talking phase’ emerged as the most shopped segment, driving demand for earphones, late-night snacks, energy drinks, board games and chocolates.
Shoppers leaned heavily into playful and sentimental gifts. Chocolate orders doubled, while baby pillows jumped 21 times, stuffed toys rose 15 times, showpieces grew 14 times, women’s fashion rings climbed 14 per cent and greeting cards increased 13 per cent. Gen Z shoppers broadened the celebration to include Galentine’s Day, with perfumes, rings, necklaces and cards trending on 13 February.
Geographically, metros such as Kolkata and Hyderabad, along with Tier 1-plus cities including Ranchi, Siliguri, Ludhiana and Dehradun, emerged as strong markets for quick Valentine’s Week purchases.
Brands
Burda Media sells BurdaLuxury to Jaipur Capital in Southeast Asia push
Deal hands regional media portfolio to Singapore investor eyeing luxury growth
MUMBAI: Burda Media has agreed to sell its Southeast Asia-focused business, BurdaLuxury, to Jaipur Capital, marking a strategic shift for both companies as they double down on their respective growth priorities.
The deal will see Jaipur Capital acquire BurdaLuxury’s media operations across Thailand, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The portfolio spans content marketing and media brands in travel, luxury and aviation, giving the investor a ready-made regional footprint and a sizeable audience base.
Jaipur Capital plans to build on this foundation to create a premium media network in Southeast Asia, blending high-end editorial with scalable digital platforms. As part of the transaction, all BurdaLuxury employees, including its management team, will move to the new owner, ensuring continuity as the business enters its next phase.
For Burda Media, the sale is part of a broader strategy to sharpen its focus on core European markets while scaling investments in digital-first opportunities. The company will, however, maintain its interest in the region through Burda Principal Investments, its global growth capital arm.
“This transaction reflects our commitment to sharpening our international focus while ensuring that BurdaLuxury continues to thrive in Southeast Asia,” said Burda Media CEO Jan Wachtel, adding that Jaipur Capital recognises the strength of the brands and teams involved.
Jaipur Capital, meanwhile, is betting big on the region’s appetite for premium content. “This acquisition significantly strengthens our premium content ecosystem,” said Jaipur Capital director Vikas Johari. He highlighted the business’s strong digital tilt, with 46 per cent of revenues coming from online channels, alongside a diversified presence across five markets.
The numbers tell a compelling story. BurdaLuxury clocks 48 million annual page views and reaches more than 40 million followers on social media, with no single market contributing over a quarter of total revenues. Jaipur Capital now aims to expand these brands further into Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, while also exploring opportunities in the Middle East, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
With this deal, Burda Media trims its global footprint to focus on depth over breadth, while Jaipur Capital steps onto a bigger stage in the premium content space. If execution matches ambition, this could be a defining chapter for luxury media in the region.
