The Amazon Great Indian Festival 2024 has apparently set a new benchmark for festive shopping, especially in smartphones and electronic items. With a wide array of deals, cashback schemes, and affordability options like No-Cost EMI and exchange offers, customers across India are seemingly flocking to upgrade their gadgets and home appliances, Amazon said in a release sent out to the media today.
The event officially kicked off on September 27, 2024. Prime members, as usual, got early access a day in advance. Amazon claims that it saw over 11 crore customer visits in the first 48 hours alone. Moreover, 80 percent of them came from Tier 2 and smaller towns highlighting the growing demand outside metro cities ahead of India’s festive season.
Smartphone boom
Smartphones emerged as a key purchase during the Great Indian Festival sale with more than 2 lakh customers buying a mobile phone for the first time on Amazon. The premium smartphone category (for Amazon, this pertains to smartphones above Rs 30,000) in particular saw a remarkable 30 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth. Apple, OnePlus, and Samsung were reportedly the most preferred brands. Interestingly, nearly 70 percent of these premium smartphone sales came from Tier 2 and smaller towns.
On the category as a whole, Tier 2 and 3 cities contributed to 75 percent of overall smartphone sales, marking a shift in consumer preferences toward premium phones across the country buoyed by affordability options like EMI, exchange offers, and bank discounts.
Big screen, more value
Large-screen televisions were a huge hit during the sale, contributing to almost 50 percent of total TV sales, according to Amazon. Samsung, Xiaomi, Sony, and LG led the way as customers looked to upgrade their viewing experiences. Once again, nearly 80 percent of television orders came from Tier 2 and 3 cities, Amazon data suggests.
Gaming laptops saw an unprecedented 19X growth in the first 48 hours of the sale compared to pre-festive periods. Premium gaming laptops, powered by the 40-series GPUs, recorded a 35X surge in sales, while Intel Core Ultra laptops saw 36X growth, Amazon said.
iPad rules
The tablet market also saw a shift towards premium products, with 60 percent of sales falling in the Rs 30,000-Rs 50,000 price range. iPads and Samsung tablets saw YoY growths of 63X and 12X, respectively. Premium ANC headphones and party speakers were also popular, with brands like JBL and Sony leading sales in this category.
In the camera segment, for the first time, Amazon offered an 18-month No-Cost EMI option on premium cameras. Here, GoPro, Sony, and Insta360 were the top performers, growing at 1.5X YoY during the sale. Additionally, demand for home security products surged, with smart door locks seeing a 60 percent increase in sales.
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