With ecommerce firms such as Flipkart and Amazon gearing up for their sales, tier-2 and tier-3 cities have emerged as key growth drivers outpacing that of metros.
E-commerce and retail enablement SaaS platform Unicommerce in its summer online sale trends in 2025 reveals that tier-3 cities drove a 21% YoY growth during the 2025 summer sales as they contributor to the overall 8% increase in ecommerce order volumes.
While the sales kicked off in early May this year, the summer season saw a continued run of sale events, drawing consumers with attractive deals across categories including electronics, apparel, fashion and footwear, beauty and home decor, it said. Amazon India has announced its Prime Day 2025 deals, exclusively for Prime members. Starting from 12:00 AM on July 12 to 11:59 PM on July 14, it said Prime Day brings savings across categories including smartphones, consumer electronics, TVs and appliances, among others.
"The summer season has become an interesting time of year, as brands and ecommerce platforms concentrate their efforts on driving sales through themed campaigns, early-bird offers, and category-specific promotions," said Kapil Makhija, MD & CEO of Unicommerce.
He added that consumers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities are increasingly embracing online channels for lifestyle upgrades like smart electronics, stylish home décor, and wellness products - categories once dominated by metro buyers. "This interesting trend highlights the deepening of India’s ecommerce sector,” he added.
According to Unicommerce data, e-commerce momentum continued through the summer season, with Tier-1 cities and metropolitan areas leading the way and accounting for 42% of total order volumes. Interestingly, Tier-3 cities followed closely with a 38% share, highlighting the growing appetite for online shopping in smaller towns. Tier-2 cities contributed 20%.
The books category saw the highest growth with a 200% jump in order volumes over last year. Home décor and furniture followed with a 100% increase. Another notable summer trend was the surge in orders for travel accessories, which grew by over 46% year-on-year.
Unicommerce said the mid-year summer sales open the door for upcoming events by setting the tone for mid-year promotions, testing consumer sentiment, and helping brands fine-tune their strategies ahead of the festive season.