Festive shopping: Home, kitchen products drive 81% jump in D2C sales to Rs 1,328 crore

Home and kitchen products emerged as major winners in this year's festive shopping season, with consumers opening their wallets for household appliances, water purifiers and kitchenware, driving an 81% year-on-year jump in gross merchandise value (GMV) on GoKwik's network of over 20,000 direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands to an estimated ₹1,328 crore during the 16-day pre-Diwali period.

The estimated GMV compares with around ₹732 crore during the 15-day comparable period last year. On a daily average basis, GMV grew 70% year on year to ₹83 crore, reflecting both an expansion in the number of active brands and a shift in consumer spending towards higher-value products.

According to GoKwik's Diwali 2026 shopping study, home and kitchen products accounted for 9.3% of total sales value during the festive run-up, up from 7% in September. Household appliance sales more than doubled to 2.13 times the September level, while kitchen and dining products registered a 73% increase.


Water purifiers and reverse osmosis (RO) systems recorded the sharpest surge, with sales value climbing 10.6 times the September baseline. Air purifier sales rose 4.3 times, while vacuum cleaner sales increased 2.1 times, pointing to stronger consumer appetite for home improvement and household utility products.

The shift towards premium and higher-ticket purchases was also evident in transaction values. Average order value (AOV) rose 8% to ₹1,389 from ₹1,288 in September, even as daily order volumes increased a relatively modest 4.2%. Average daily GMV was up 12.4% over the September baseline.

The average number of items per order remained largely unchanged at around 2.2, suggesting that consumers were spending more on individual purchases rather than adding more products to their shopping baskets.

"The festive shopping pattern this year reflects a noticeable shift in consumer priorities, with home and kitchen products gaining prominence alongside traditional categories such as fashion and gifting. What stands out is that consumers are spending more per order without significantly increasing the number of items they purchase," said Chirag Taneja, co-founder and CEO, GoKwik.

For D2C brands, understanding these changes in consumer behaviour is becoming increasingly important for planning product assortments, marketing campaigns and festive inventory, he said.

Traditional festive categories also recorded healthy traction. Sales of salwar suits and anarkalis rose to 2.3 times September levels, while ethnic footwear sales increased 2.1 times. Chocolates and confectionery more than doubled, while seasonal decorations, worship products and gifting items also witnessed significant growth.

Winter wear gained ground, with sweatshirts and hoodies recording sales 3.8 times their September levels.

However, the festive spending surge was not broad-based. Health and wellness products saw their share of total sales value decline from 12% in September to 9.4% during the pre-Diwali period. Nutrition and supplement sales fell 14%, while skincare and haircare sales declined 3% and 5%, respectively, indicating a reallocation of consumer budgets towards festive purchases and household requirements.

At the regional level, Gujarat led the growth with a 29% increase in GMV over September, followed by Bihar and Jharkhand at 26%. Maharashtra and Goa, along with Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, recorded growth of 20% each.

November 1 was the strongest shopping day during the period, generating approximately ₹99 crore in GMV through 7.3 lakh orders.

The study also points to uneven growth across brands. Of the 3,274 established brands analysed, 681 registered sales growth of at least 50% over September, while 42% reported a decline. Home-focused brands were among the better performers, with 29% recording growth of at least 50%.

The findings are based on confirmed orders processed through GoKwik checkout. The 2026 pre-Diwali period covered October 21 to November 5, compared with October 3 to October 17 in 2025. The reported GMV figures are estimates based on rounded daily averages, with the year-on-year growth reflecting different period lengths. On a comparable daily-average basis, GMV increased approximately 70%.