Flipkart, Amazon to kick off festive season sales on October 8

Ecommerce rivals Flipkart and Amazon will kick off their annual flagship sales on October 8. Amazon had initially announced October 10 as the starting date for its Great Indian Festival, but has now changed it to align with Flipkart’s Big Billion Days. Amazon Prime customers will get early access to the sale, as in the past.

For Walmart-backed Flipkart, Big Billion Days is an important event, as it accounts for a significant chunk of the company’s annual sales, just as it does for its competitors and other companies in general. Flipkart Plus customers will get early access to the sale.

Online commerce saw a volume growth of 24% in the second quarter on a year-on-year basis, ET reported on July 11. The growth was led by high-value premium products, while softness continued in mass-market segments, especially fashion.


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“The Big Billion Days this year is a special one, not just for Flipkart, but for the entire ecosystem, as we step into this milestone 10th year...The Big Billion Days stand testament to the power of e-commerce in driving inclusivity, enabling growth for the ecosystem at large, the opportunity for job creation that it presents and delivering value to millions of customers,” Kalyan Krishnamurthy, chief executive of Flipkart Group, said in a statement.

Over 1.4 million sellers, including Flipkart Samarth sellers like artisans, weavers, women, and self-help groups (SHGs), are set to participate in the mega event.

On September 15, ET reported that Flipkart, ahead of its flagship Big Billion Days sale, has been organising a series of seller gatherings in various major cities, including Delhi, Surat, Jaipur, Agra, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Amazon India also held its Smbhav seller meet last month, ahead of its Great Indian Festival.

Ecommerce sales are expected to grow 18-20% to around $11 billion during the upcoming festive season, Redseer had said earlier in a report. According to the report, at least 140 million shoppers will be transacting online during this season. The contribution from higher-margin categories such as beauty and personal care, home and general merchandise, as well as fashion, is expected to increase, the report said.