MAM
D2C brands outpace marketplaces in festive orders: GoKwik report
Mumbai: In a notable shift in online retail, D2C brands have surpassed marketplaces during the recent sale period, achieving a 64 per cent growth in orders compared to 26 per cent growth on marketplaces. This trend reflects increased shopper confidence in D2C brands, making them less reliant on marketplace sales.
Major marketplaces in India held their biggest festive sales from September 25 until Dussehra. Previously, D2C brands experienced a dip in orders during this time, but this has changed since last year. D2C brands are now running significant sales alongside marketplaces and continue to see rising order volumes.
Footwear, traditionally an offline category, led growth with a 273 per cent increase in orders, followed by fashion and beauty with 84 per cent and 73 per cent increases, respectively. Jewelry, which is often preferred for online shopping, saw a 38 per cent rise in orders, indicating growing trust in D2C brands even for items usually bought offline.
“D2C is here and thriving; the ecosystem is expanding and the market is deepening,” said GoKwik’s co-founder and CEO Chirag Taneja. “Shoppers are more confident about placing their bets on D2C now more than ever. The personalization, niche products, and seamless shopping experience brands have been providing to these shoppers is reaping results,” he added.
Electronics, however, experienced a three per cent slowdown, likely due to the rise of quick commerce, marketplace dominance with discounts on mobile phones and TVs, and a resurgence in offline shopping as retailers match online deals.
Average order value (AOV) for D2C brands jumped 11 per cent year on year, from ₹1,368 to ₹1,869. Jewelry led this surge, with AOV increasing from ₹1,207 in 2023 to ₹1,809 this year.
Payment behavior has also changed, with GoKwik’s data showing a 5 per cent increase in prepaid orders, especially in fashion, where shoppers are opting to pay upfront.
“While UPI continues to be shoppers’ favorite prepaid mode of payment, EMI also seems to be the flavor of the season. With Gen Z shopping more and more, brands are bridging the gap between aspiration and affordability by providing easy and flexible EMI options,” Chirag said.
Tier one cities contributed most to this surge, witnessing a 96 per cent spike, an unusual trend for the festive season, which typically sees higher orders from tier three cities. Tier one cities also recorded the highest AOV increases. Geographically, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu had the highest order volume surges.
GoKwik supports over 10,000 brands in its network, including Lenskart, Neemans, Man Matters, and Shoppers Stop, covering key online shopping categories. The eCommerce enabler expects this trend to continue in the lead-up to Diwali.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
