Indian consumers adopted a more cautious and value-driven approach to festive shopping in 2026, with over half of all online fashion orders priced below ₹1,000, according to Fynd’s Festive Season Report 2026. The report, released by AI-native unified commerce platform Fynd, draws insights from more than 65 brands selling across eight major online marketplaces, including Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon, AJIO, Nykaa, JioMart, Tata CLiQ and Tata CLiQ Luxury, during the September-October festive shopping period. The report suggests that shoppers balanced affordability with selective premium spending amid economic uncertainty, rising living costs and changing marketplace preferences.
50.1% of all festive season orders were placed below ₹1,000, highlighting a strong value-first mindset among consumers, according to the report. At the same time, orders worth more than ₹3,000 accounted for only 11.8% of total purchases but contributed more than 41% of overall sales value, indicating that shoppers were willing to spend on products they considered worthwhile. Tier 2 cities saw a sharp rise in contribution during the festive season, increasing their share of orders from 19% in 2025 to around 35% in 2026.
Fynd said consumers became more deliberate in their spending decisions, comparing options more carefully and prioritising purchases that offered practicality, versatility and perceived value rather than engaging in indiscriminate festive buying. Commenting on the findings, Ragini Varma, Chief Business Officer for India at Fynd, said consumers navigated a festive season marked by higher borrowing costs, elevated fuel prices, geopolitical uncertainties and continued pressure on household budgets. The trend points to growing demand from emerging consumption centres beyond India’s major metropolitan regions. She noted that value emerged as the defining theme of the season, with shoppers planning purchases more carefully and focusing on products that justified their spending. The report concludes that future growth for retailers will depend on stronger regional strategies, marketplace diversification, disciplined discounting, improved prepaid adoption and a deeper understanding of evolving consumer behaviour across categories and regions.