Instant Orders or Bulk Buys? Logistics Firms Gear Up for ₹1.5 Lakh Cr Festive Surge

As festive season spending is expected to cross ₹1.5 lakh crore this year, Indian logistics firms are gearing up for a sharp surge in shipment volumes from the quick commerce as well as e-commerce platforms.

Quick commerce giants like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart are projected to generate ₹11,000–12,000 crore in GMV during the 30–35-day festive window, driven by instant, small-ticket orders, said Atul Mehta, CEO - Domestic Shipping, ShipRocket. These platforms thrive on high-frequency, small basket orders, particularly in groceries, personal care, and lifestyle products.

Beyond groceries, the 10-minute delivery game is also expanding into new segments. “GMV from non-grocery categories alone has grown nearly 4x over the past two years, with categories like beauty, small electronics, and fashion now accounting for 15–20% of sales,” says Mehta.

“At Shiprocket, festive volumes are also accelerating: the platform managed over 26.5 million festive orders, and 2025 is already trending higher with a strong uptick in same-day and hyperlocal deliveries through Shiprocket Quick,” he added.

At the same time, Mehta says that traditional e-commerce platforms are seeing a 40-55% year-on-year jump in shipments. He attributed the surge to planned purchases in categories such as electronics, fashion, and home décor, where delivery cycle average is approximately1–3 days instead of minutes.

And this trend is not confined to metro cities. “More than 60% of festive orders on our platform originate from non-metro India, validating our focus on democratising commerce for MSMEs for Bharat,” said Mehta.

Reports indicate that tier 3 cities saw 200% growth in books, 100% in furniture/home décor, and 75–76% in wearables and makeup during summer sales, a trend expected to sustain in festive season.

Quick commerce is also pushing gifting, personal care, and lifestyle products as “last-minute festive essentials”. For Shiprocket, Mehta says that these very categories like fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and electronics accessories make up a large share of shipments.

However, RapidShyp CEO Ravi Goel says that traditional e-commerce remains the backbone of planned, high-value purchases, from electronics to fashion and home décor. The company’s order volume typically grows by 2–3x during festive weeks.

He also points to expanding product availability and growing consumer confidence as key drivers. “Hubs like Lucknow, Indore, Bhubaneswar, and Coimbatore have shown 65–70% YoY growth in festive season shipments,” says Goyal, while highlighting the rising influence of tier 2 and 3 cities.

The logistic platforms are leaning on technology to maintain service levels and manage the geographically dispersed demand because hyperlocal inventory management and agile fleet deployment are crucial, especially for quick commerce.

Both companies agree that tech solutions are pivotal in scaling operations, with tools like AI-powered courier recommendations and real-time tracking playing a key role in meeting delivery expectations amid volume spikes.

As companies expand fulfillment capabilities, brands are increasing their festive marketing investments to capture consumer attention. Industry estimates suggest that brands are ramping up festive ad spends by 20–25% YoY, with sharper allocations towards digital, influencer-led campaigns, and regional markets.

Quick commerce platforms are also doubling down on heavy discounting and flash campaigns to lock consumer loyalty. Goel expects a shift in permanent infrastructure investments towards instant fulfillment models.

“The surge in demand for rapid deliveries during peak periods highlights changing consumer expectations. However, rather than replacing traditional warehousing, the trend points to a hybrid approach, which is about combining centralised storage with decentralised, tech-enabled micro-fulfillment centers,” he adds.

This model offers scalability and speed at the same time, allowing businesses to handle festive surges while maintaining year-round efficiency. “Instant fulfillment is no longer optional; it’s becoming a strategic necessity”.