Sowmya Ramasubramanian, Mint 17 September 2025 Snapdeal, run by AceVector, is relying on strong growth in fashion and apparel to strengthen its position in the competitive e-commerce space, especially during the high-stakes festive season when customer loyalty is low. According to CEO Achint Setia, the company has seen its fashion and lifestyle categories triple in growth this year, though exact figures remain undisclosed. "Fashion has been a standout category this year and, in fact, has been possibly the fastest-growing one so far. Overall, lifestyle [including fashion, home decor, and kitchen] already accounts for 90% of our business today, and fashion…
Shabori Das & Sagar Malviya, Economic Times 15 September 2025 ITC Foods is making a strategic entry into fresh packaged foods including short shelf-life cookies, cakes, and chapatis, among others, part of its broader aim to ride the surge in quick commerce demand, said Hemant Malik, chief executive of the food division of ITC. The move is also prompted by the cigarette-to-snack maker's aim to capture India's growing appetite for convenience-led, freshly-made food with shelf life of a few days, instead of 12-24 months for other food products, with quicker fulfilment systems. "There is a growing consumer demand for fresh…
Shalinee Mishra, Exchange4Media 5 September 2025 Retailers in India are waking up to a hard truth: customer acquisition can no longer ride on advertising alone. Digital ad spends grew by 14-17% in 2024, touching nearly ₹50,000 crore (as per Pitch Madison report) and accounting for 46% of India’s total ad market. But with customer acquisition costs (CAC) rising 30-35% year-on-year and consumer attention fragmented across platforms, the ad-first growth engine is showing strain. What is emerging instead is an ecosystem where content in the form of video, celebrity-led storytelling, or creator-driven engagement is becoming the direct funnel to commerce. Flipkart…
Pooja Yadav, Exchange4Media 4 September 2025 Quick commerce today is no longer just about delivering groceries in 10 minutes. It has emerged as one of India’s most coveted retail media channels, where brands are willing to pay a steep premium for visibility. If FY25 was about building scale, FY26 is definitely shaping up to be about pricing power. With consumer adoption of 10–20-minute delivery apps surging, advertisers are competing for limited inventory, pushing ad rates up by 30–50% year-on-year. “Ad rates on quick commerce platforms have surged by 30–40% year-onyear, especially during high-impact windows like festive seasons and major cricket…
Aakriti Bansal, Medianama 3 September 2025 The Goods and Services Tax (GST) overhaul simplifies India’s tax structure and lowers prices for many goods. However, for e-commerce sellers, the change arrives at the worst possible moment. Platforms and sellers must adjust billing systems, invoices, and inventory records just as the festive season begins. The festive period drives the highest order volumes of the year, and even minor disruptions in invoicing or compliance ripple through the system. Refunds get delayed, seller–platform relations strain, consumers face frustration, and penalties under GST law escalate. Moreover, the episode shows the fragility of India’s e-commerce compliance…
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Speaking with @Priyamouli1812, @devangshu explained that new-age lab grown diamond players are forcing traditional jewellers to introduce LGD options or risk losing younger customers.
New tax & labour rules: What rising compliance costs mean for e-comm platforms.
Industry analysts say new rules have lifted per-order costs and platforms will now have less room to burn cash on promos; Discounts and zero-fee offers may also be a thing of the past.
India’s retail media growth: Will new players find room against Amazon and Flipkart?
New retail media platforms are emerging, but with Amazon and Flipkart holding the largest share, challenger brands face an uphill task of driving incremental sales and reaching unique audiences.
