Amazon Festival 2024 Breaks Record with 1.4 Billion Customer Visits

Amazon India’s annual Amazon Great Indian Festival (AGIF) 2024 has set a new benchmark in the e-commerce space, recording 1.4 billion customer visits — the highest engagement yet. With over 85% of customers from non-metro regions, the event showcases the growing reach and relevance of e-commerce in India’s smaller cities and towns. The festival, which ran from September 27 with 24 hours of Prime Early Access, brought unprecedented traffic and sales figures, reflecting the deepening trust of Indian consumers in Amazon’s platform.

Record-Breaking Sales and Customer Engagement in AGIF 2024

Amazon India’s outreach to non-metro areas was a standout feature of this year’s festival, with Tier-II and III cities leading the charge. Approximately 70% of participating sellers were from Tier II and below, helping many small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including women entrepreneurs, artisans, and weavers, reach peak sales. The success stories include more than 42,000 sellers reaching their highest-ever single-day sales, with over 4,500 sellers experiencing a 10-fold spike in sales compared to last year’s event. Remarkably, 70% of premium smartphone sales came from these non-metro cities, demonstrating the demand for high-value products outside metro areas.

Amazon’s focus on seamless delivery also saw significant advancements this year. The company facilitated over 30 million same-day or next-day deliveries for Prime members, marking a 26% increase in ultra-fast fulfilment compared to last year. This streamlined delivery has been instrumental in building customer loyalty, especially among Prime members, who contributed to the highest single-day sign-ups during the first 48 hours of AGIF 2024.

Convenience was further amplified through Amazon Pay UPI, which saw a 20% increase in users, with an impressive 80% adoption rate among customers in Tier-II and III regions. Big-ticket purchases were fueled by EMI options, with one in four electronics purchases made through this option, with 45% opting for no-cost EMIs, indicating a 25% growth in EMI use year-over-year. This trend highlights the company’s effort to make premium products accessible to a broader audience.

AGIF 2024 witnessed significant shifts in customer preferences. In the smartphone sector, budget 5G smartphones (under Rs 10,000) gained popularity, with Realme, iQOO, and Xiaomi leading the selection. Premium smartphones (priced over Rs 30,000) also saw record growth, as did premium tablets, particularly Apple and Samsung models, which saw sales spike by 10 times and 5 times, respectively.

Televisions were another highlight, with large-screen models accounting for a third of the total units sold, and Samsung, Xiaomi, and Sony being top choices. Premium audio products, including soundbars, saw a 40% rise in demand, while gaming consoles, particularly the PS5 Slim, hit record sales for legacy consoles with a 17% year-over-year growth.

Festival Season Drives Major E-commerce Boost in India

Travel services on Amazon India grew notably, with flight bookings up by over 20% and hotel bookings seeing a 60% increase year-over-year. Additionally, a 50% surge in new customers booking flights underscores the platform's success in broadening its service offerings and customer base.

Amazon’s key rival, Flipkart, also reported notable figures for its Big Billion Days (TBBD) 2024 event, drawing 7.2 billion customer visits between September 1 and October 28. Flipkart attributed its success to premiumization and personalized offerings, with strong engagement from metro and Tier-II+ cities, marking an overall boost in digital adoption and consumer sentiment.

India’s festive season has provided an economic boon, with projections estimating that e-commerce platforms will achieve Rs 1 to 1.2 trillion in gross merchandise value (GMV) this year, representing 20% growth from last year. This growth, fueled by pent-up demand, value-centric deals, and premiumization trends, has set the stage for an even stronger push in digital retail adoption.

Amazon’s AGIF 2024 has reinforced the transformative power of e-commerce, especially in connecting India's heartland to premium brands and essential goods. The event’s success, built on extensive selection, innovative payment options, and robust delivery networks, underscores the expanding role of digital commerce in India’s economy. The record-setting festival season has not only highlighted Amazon’s reach and seller empowerment but also captured the evolving shopping preferences of Indian consumers across metro and non-metro regions alike.

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