Fynd released its Festive Season Report 2026, revealing how Indian fashion shoppers navigated a festive season shaped by economic uncertainty, rising costs, and evolving marketplace preferences.
Drawing insights from more than 65 brands selling across eight leading marketplaces, including Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon, AJIO, Nykaa, JioMart, Tata CLiQ, and Tata CLiQ Luxury, the report analyses shopping behaviour across apparel, footwear, and fashion accessories during the September-October 2026 festive shopping period.
The findings point to the emergence of a more deliberate Indian shopper. Despite participating in festive sales, consumers became increasingly selective about where, when, and how they spent. Half of all festive orders (50.1%) were placed below ₹1,000, reflecting a strong value-first mindset, while orders above ₹3,000 accounted for just 11.8% of purchases but contributed more than 41% of sales value, demonstrating that shoppers were willing to spend more when the product justified it.
Indian shoppers rebalanced their spending, prioritised affordability in everyday purchases, responded strongly to promotional offers and concentrated spending on products they considered worth the investment. The result was a festive season defined less by indiscriminate buying and more by conscious decision-making.
They increasingly reserved their spending for products perceived as practical, versatile and higher value. As a result, footwear accounted for 52.7% of all festive orders and 58.4% of total sales value, up significantly from 33% of orders in 2025. In contrast, clothing's share declined from 48% to 34.5%, suggesting shoppers were becoming more selective about discretionary fashion purchases while continuing to invest in categories that offered everyday utility.
Key Insights from Fynd's Festive Season Report 2026
● Value remains the defining consumer behaviour: 50.1% of all orders were under ₹1,000, while premium orders above ₹3,000 generated 41% of total sales value.
● Footwear takes centre stage: Footwear accounted for 52.7% of festive orders and 58.4% of sales value, emerging as India's largest online fashion category during the festive season.
● Discounting intensifies: Average festive discounts increased from 34% to 46%, with nearly half of all orders sold at discounts exceeding 50%.
● The East becomes a major growth engine: Eastern India generated 20.8% of all festive orders, while West Bengal became India's #2 ordering state.
● Marketplace diversification accelerates: Myntra and Flipkart remained the leaders but saw their combined share decline from 89% to 76.8% as AJIO, Amazon, and JioMart gained traction.
● Digital payments continue to rise: Online payments reached 56.5% of all orders, while prepaid adoption surged across Eastern markets.
● Tier 2 cities gained momentum: Tier 2 locations expanded their contribution from 19% of orders in 2025 to around 35% in 2026, emerging as one of the fastest-growing demand segments.
● Returns and RTO: The overall return rate stood at 11.8%, with clothing and footwear recording category-wise return rates of 14.9% and 10.5%, respectively.
Commenting on the findings, Ragini Varma, Chief Business Officer - India, Fynd, said, "This festive season unfolded against a very different backdrop. Consumers were navigating higher borrowing costs, elevated fuel prices, global geopolitical uncertainty, and continued pressure on household budgets. In that environment, value emerged as the defining theme of the season.
Shoppers compared more, planned purchases more carefully and looked for products that justified their spend. For brands, the opportunity is not simply to sell more, but to understand how customer priorities are evolving and deliver the right value, assortment and experience at the right moment."
Tier 1 cities contributed approximately 43% of orders but 56% of GMV, while emerging demand centres across Tier 2 markets reinforced the need for a more localised approach to assortment, pricing, and fulfilment.
The findings highlight how affordability, payment choices, and regional preferences are shaping festive shopping across India. For retailers, the message is clear: future growth will be driven by marketplace diversification, stronger regional strategies, disciplined discounting, improved prepaid adoption, and a sharper understanding of category-specific demand patterns.
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