Tier-3 cities are the top contributors to online consumption this Republic Day
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Tier-3 cities drive nearly 40 per cent of online orders
India’s Republic Day sales 2026 highlight Tier-3 cities as the biggest e-commerce growth engine. These smaller cities drove nearly 40% of online orders, with volumes rising over 19% year-on-year, showing deeper digital adoption beyond metros.
India’s Republic Day sales in 2026 showed a clear shift in online shopping patterns, with Tier-3 cities emerging as the biggest growth drivers, according to industry data. Overall online order volumes increased 16.9 per cent year-on-year, indicating stronger participation from smaller towns and districts.
The data is based on more than 27 million order items processed during the Republic Day sale periods of 2025 and 2026, according to an analysis by Unicommerce.
Tier-3 cities account for nearly 40 per cent of orders
Tier-3 cities contributed close to 40 per cent of total online orders during the sales period, with order volumes growing by over 19 per cent compared to last year. Cities such as Kolar, Rohtak, Ernakulam, Kamrup and Khordha were among the key contributors, reflecting rising digital adoption beyond metro and Tier-1 markets.
The data suggests that reach and wider access to everything and digital payments are helping smaller cities play a larger role in India’s e-commerce growth.
Everyday goods drive demand during sales
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While overall spending grew, the rise was led more by higher order frequency than larger ticket sizes. Gross merchandise value (GMV) increased 11.9 per cent year-on-year, lower than the growth in order volumes.
Categories linked to daily needs saw the strongest demand. FMCG and agriculture-related products recorded nearly 80 per cent growth, while beauty and wellness grew by about 53 per cent compared to last year. Food and beverage products also saw higher participation from Tier-3 cities, which made up around 43 per cent of total orders in the category.
Quick commerce sees faster adoption
Faster delivery models continued to gain traction during the Republic Day sales period. Quick commerce orders rose 25 per cent year-on-year, slightly ahead of brand-owned websites, which grew by 23 per cent. Marketplaces still handled the largest share of overall orders.
The trend indicates that consumers are increasingly prioritising speed and convenience.
More customer communication during peak demand
To manage high order volumes, sellers relied more on direct customer communication. According to the report, over 2.5 million messages were sent through channels such as SMS, WhatsApp and RCS during the sales period. AI-based voice calls were also used to support last-mile delivery and order confirmation.
The Republic Day sales figures point to a broader shift in India’s e-commerce landscape, with growth increasingly coming from smaller cities rather than large metros.
