Quick-commerce platforms boosted Valentine’s sales, as consumers increasingly chose instant delivery nationwide
Over 15 million orders processed on Uniware show strong quick-commerce growth across platforms, marketplaces and D2C sites
E-commerce orders grew 17% versus February 1–10, 2025, with quick-commerce surging 48% year-on-year
Quick-commerce platforms drove a sharp rise in Valentine’s sales between February 1 and 10, 2026, with fresh data from Unicommerce showing that order volumes jumped 48% year-on-year. The report stated that consumers increasingly relied on instant delivery for impulse purchases across India.
An analysis of more than 15 million order items processed through Unicommerce’s flagship platform Uniware shows strong growth in quick-commerce during the February 1 to 10 period. The data includes transactions across quick-commerce platforms, online marketplaces and direct-to-consumer brand websites.
Overall e-commerce order volumes rose about 17% compared with February 1 to 10, 2025. Direct-to-consumer brand websites saw orders rise about 16%, while online marketplaces grew around 14%.
3 February 2026
Get the latest issue of Outlook Business
The figures show that fast delivery is becoming a key factor for occasion-based shopping, especially for customers who were making last-minute purchases.
Quick-Commerce Growth
The figures also show that quick- commerce is expanding beyond everyday essentials. More customers used these platforms to buy gifts and other non-essential items during the festive period.
Valentine’s gifting patterns also evolved beyond flowers and chocolates. Consumers expanded their choices to include gourmet snacks, artisanal teas and premium chocolates as preferred food gifts.
Orders for perfumes, skincare kits, and makeup combinations saw strong demand during the Valentine’s period. Products such as couple coffee mugs and cushions also attracted steady buying.
At the same time, practical lifestyle and wellness products emerged as thoughtful alternatives, reinforcing the idea that almost any category can now be positioned as a Valentine’s gift.
Tier-Wise Sales Trends
Sales rose across city tiers during the February 1 to 10 Valentine’s period, showing that demand extended beyond a few major markets.
Tier 1 cities and metros recorded around 19% growth during the period, reflecting strong festive buying in large urban centres.
Tier 2 cities reported a 14% rise in order volumes, while Tier 3 cities nearly matched metro performance with approximately 18% growth.
The data indicates that Valentine’s online shopping gained traction across both larger cities and smaller towns, rather than remaining limited to metropolitan areas.
AI-Driven Conversions
Marketing technology also delivered measurable results during the Valentine’s period. Data from Convertway, Unicommerce’s marketing automation platform, shows that brands managed more than 1.2 million customer interactions.
Brands contacted customers through SMS, WhatsApp, Rich Communication Services and an artificial intelligence-powered voice agent called Catalyst during the Valentine’s period. These outreach efforts led to more than 18,000 orders.
The total value of these orders stood at around ₹35 million, showing that timely reminders helped boost sales during the Valentine’s period.
