India's Evolving Online Retail: Navigating Festive Peaks and Year-Round Stability

India's online retail market shows a shift towards steady year-round demand despite mobiles and electronics experiencing sales peaks during September-October. Brands are advised to reduce reliance on festive periods by promoting during slower months. Grocery, beauty, and personal care exhibit stable demand, while home, furniture, and fashion show moderate seasonality.

A study by Redseer highlights a shift in India's online shopping habits, indicating a transition towards a more balanced demand curve throughout the year, despite the continued dominance of mobile and electronics sales during the September-October period.

As the report suggests, these categories pose operational risks due to their heavy reliance on festive sales spikes. The Seasonality Index highlights mobiles and electronics as the most volatile, with mobiles peaking dramatically at an index of 2.3 and electronics at 2.0 during the festive months.

The report advises brands to mitigate these fluctuations by launching exclusive products or promotions during slower months, suggesting that the true market leaders will be those who can maintain growth by managing demand effectively across all periods.

(With inputs from agencies.)