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From Holi to Christmas  – Important festival dates in 2024

<ul><li><keyword id="12297640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shopify-india" source="Orion">Shopify India</keyword> launches Festive Shopping Outlook Report 2021. </li><li>The Indian Retail Sector can expect to cater to smarter, savvier shoppers this Diwali.</li></ul>Shopify India has released an exclusive industry trend report based on their 2021 Consumer Insights Survey. The Festive Shopping Outlook Report 2021 has been put together against the background of the pandemic, even as the Indian retail sector continues to witness radical changes when it comes to consumer behavior and buying patterns. The survey, conducted between September 15, 2021 to October 20, 2021 amongst 800 metro and non-metro Indian shoppers, reveals changing consumer shopping preferences heading into the <keyword id="36208" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season" source="Orion">festive season</keyword>. These trends will ultimately determine the course that the Indian retail sector will follow, by elevating consumer strategies and aligning themselves to the new order. The survey by Shopify India has been released to decode changing consumer trends and sentiments in the run-up to Diwali – one of India’s most important annual festivals, that also results in the largest shopping period in the country. At its core, the report is aimed at studying the impact that multiple lockdowns, shifting retail landscapes and a struggling economy have had on consumer pockets and mindsets. The Festive Shopping Outlook Report 2021 published nine major trends that emerged from the Consumer Insights Survey. Heightened confidence in e-tailers waters down traditional advance festive shopping The pull of last-minute discount deals along with short-lead/express delivery advantages offered by e-retailers have been instrumental in gaining consumer confidence. According to the report by Shopify India, 2 in 3 Indian shoppers had not started shopping for the festive season at the time of taking this survey. This is in sharp contrast to pre-pandemic traditional behaviors where festive shopping in India would kick off in full swing nearly a month in advance. Smaller Indian cities emerge as key e-shopping growth hubs Multiple factors such as India’s nationwide mobile penetration, brands opting to shift to a D2C model, enhanced last-mile delivery and customer-friendly return policies have been instrumental in bringing the millennial, non-metro shopper to opt for the digital medium. While online shopping – in the last decade – has largely been prevalent amongst consumers in tier-I Indian metropolitan cities, the pandemic has accelerated and driven this growth up the charts in tier-II cities and non-metros as well. According to Shopify’s Festive Shopping Outlook Report, 53.5% millennial shoppers from non-metros have displayed a strong preference to shop online. Health &amp; safety concerns push customers to adopt tech-enabled, family shopping experiences Even with increased vaccinations, consumers are wary of offline/physical shopping and in-person interactions. Convenience, value for money and personalization offered by online players has enhanced e-purchasing’s appeal. However, one thing remains the same – Indian shopping still continues to be a family affair! Half the respondents of the survey indicated that they will prefer involving their families even when shopping online during the festive season. Local businesses to win big as consumers wake up to the advantages of shopping locally Close to 58% respondents stated that they would prefer to support and shop from small online businesses during this year’s festive season. This is in sharp contrast to the usual skew towards high-end brands when it comes to gifting and festive shopping. Smaller retailers have managed to capture consumer attention and loyalty by offering a range of value for money options, along with individual attention and personalized experiences. These benefits, combined with the emotional pull that consumers feel towards extending support and encouragement to businesses that are fighting to survive, have been instrumental in driving e-sales at these small, local establishments. Festive gifting gets utility-focused Consumers are now leaning towards gifts with high functionality and utility value, as opposed to standard festive sweets or dry fruit tokens. Home confinements have led to consumers realizing the need to constantly upgrade or enhance their abodes. It comes as no surprise that home décor and furnishings topped this year’s festive shopping lists with over 50% respondents displaying preference to spend on gifts under this category. Big budgets parked for electronics, dimming the spotlight on jewellery Despite being considered auspicious as well as status symbols, gold and precious metal jewellery which have been traditional festive gifting favorites seem to have fallen out of favor with Indian shoppers this year. The pandemic has inspired consumers to put their money where major dependencies lie; in tech gadgets. This festive season, electronic gadgets are all set to command maximum consumer gifting budgets with close to 42% respondents to Shopify’s survey showcasing increased propensity towards it. High-speed internet connections and a heightened need to stay connected have increased consumer reliance on gadgets. This has translated onwards onto a large proportion of downsized festive budgets being allocated to electronic products this year. Consumer sentiment confirms that the online shopping boom is here to stay According to Shopify India’s Festive Shopping Report 2021, 76.9% Indian consumers show deep inclination towards online shopping this festive season because of the convenience it offers. While traditionally festive shopping has been an offline retail activity, pandemic-induced restrictions put in place to contain the virus forced most retail activity to move online. A practice that many consumers have got familiar with and also appreciate for the bouquet of benefits it has to offer. However, this year, even with the lifting of most restrictions, high vaccinations rates and a lower covid caseload in India, Shopify India has witnessed a continued preference for virtual retail. Contactless spending set to dominate the future of payments in India and in ‘Bharat’ With the pandemic necessitating contactless payments and boosting cashless transactions, cash is no longer king in an economy which was previously heavily reliant on cash. Armed with the second-largest mobile-user base globally, India has transitioned into the e-payments era on the back of easy, convenient and accessible UPI payment options. Nearly 50% respondents surveyed by Shopify stated that they preferred to process payments via UPI as opposed to any other form of transaction. Interestingly, the preference remains consistent across both, online and offline shopping experiences. Conclusion Diwali 2021 is set to witness the rise of a smarter, savvier Indian consumer generation which is highly dependent on technology and mobile connectivity. They now seek convenience and value over all else and have broken away from traditional token gifting. It can safely be said that this year, Indian consumers are planning their Diwali shopping with an eye on the future. A future which they are already scripting; one Rupee at a time.

Local businesses to win big as consumers wake up to the advantages of shopping locally: Shopify report

<keyword id="64143" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="jonas-brothers" source="Orion">Jonas Brothers</keyword>, <keyword id="6354551" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sting" source="Orion">Sting</keyword>, Halsey and OneRepublic and Anoushka Shankar are all set to perform in Mumbai at the multi-genre music festival <keyword id="14566742" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lollapalooza-india" source="Orion">Lollapalooza India</keyword> in January. After the successful first Indian edition, the music festival is returning to the country with a blend of diverse and exciting flavours from the world of music and culture. The music festival will be held on January 27 and 28 at Mahalaxmi Race Course. The festival will feature four stages and over 20 hours of live music. Other performers at the festival include Lauv, Jungle, Royal Blood, rapper JPEGMAFIA, Meduza, DJ Malaa, Caribou, The Rose, Eric Nam, Fatoumata Diawara, DJ Kenny Beats,The Raghu Dixit Project, When Chai Met Toast and Garden City Movement. Indian artistes at the festival are The Karan Kanchan Experience, Parvaaz, Prabh Deep, Dualist Inquiry, Komorebi, Parekh &amp; Singh, Skrat, Kamakshi Khanna, JBABE, Chrms, Dewdrops, Shashwat Bulusu, Jatayu, Monophonik, Sublime Sound, Stalvart John, Long Distances and Megan Murray. The first edition of Lollapalooza India saw over 60,000 fans engaging with the electrifying performances, stage production and immersive festival experiences with genres like pop, rock, hip-hop, indie, Electronic Dance Music (EDM), techno and a host of new Indian sounds discovered by the festival goers. In addition, the festival will also bring along the much-appreciated Lolla Food Park, several experiential zones such as festival-look glam stations and customised tailor shops and art installations for infinite Instagram worthy grabs. BookMyShow Live is the promoter and co-producer of Lollapalooza India.

Jonas Brothers, Sting, Halsey, OneRepublic to headline 2nd edition of Lollapalooza India

<ul><li>The sluggish two quarters of this fiscal and dull results of auto, FMCG, real estate, apparel, telecom indicate that the upcoming <keyword id="36208" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="festive-season">festive season</keyword> will not bring profitability. </li><li>However, the first half of the year was unusual, unprecedented that the ad industry took a nosedive to as low as -60%. </li><li>Experts are hopeful that the festive season will bring in cheer and serve as a respite from the pandemic-associated slumber. </li></ul>This year, Diwali or Ganapati won’t be about bursting crackers on the street and meeting family to exchange sweets. It will be all virtual, about being there for each other in tough times and celebrating small victories. This festive season, like this year, is unusual, which has made many marketers rethink their strategies and understand consumer behaviour closely to come up with out-of-box solutions. The progress of advertising industry has always been in tandem to consumer sentiment and about 40-45% of the annual ad spends in India happen between Raksha Bandhan and New Year. This year, when ad revenue had reached as low as -60% in April, a lot of hopes are banking on the festive season for industry’s overall revival. In many ways, advertising is a lag and lead indicator for our country -- if the country's GDP is growing at 8%, advertising grows at 12%. If GDP falls, ad revenue falls even lower. With a steady monsoon and plump harvest so far, experts are hopeful that the festive season will bring cheer for the industry. It will help the ad world bounce back to normalcy. <keyword id="248051" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashish-Bhasin">Ashish Bhasin</keyword>, CEO - APAC and Chairman India, Dentsu Aegis Network Asia said, “In the month of April, we were -60%. I think we will end this calendar year at probably around -15 to -20% decline in the advertising market, which means the second half will have to do better than the first half. It may not be as good as last year, which in itself wasn’t a great period, however it will start improving and coming closer. Monsoon season is looking good, so our rural economy should do well. For many categories now there is saturation in terms of penetration at least in metros, so a lot of growth will come from Tier II, III and rural areas. So if the rains continue and we have a good harvest, there will be more money in the pockets of the rural consumers and that will help the demand. With the advent of the festive season, hopefully, COVID cycle goes down by that time, coupled with a good harvest, demand going up and sentiment improving, I think by around Diwali we will see some signs of normality returning.” Priti Murthy, CEO, OMD India said, “The festive season will bring in cheer and serve as a respite from the pandemic-associated slumber. Our recently conducted survey states how the general news consumption has significantly increased during the lockdown period. With an increase in music streaming, online games, and cooking shows, and re-runs of popular shows from the 80’s &amp; 90’s making a comeback, the ad revenue cycle is all geared up during the festive season.” This Indian festive season is coupled with IPL, which is a gigantic festival in itself that drives advertising industry’s revenue and holds the power to alter market sentiment. While sans-Vivo, OOH and no activitations, Navin Khemka, CEO, MediaCom South Asia still believes IPL will help put ad industry back to 2019’s growth trajectory. “Given that IPL is confirmed, we can expect this year's festival season to be equal to 2019. Last year, the last quarter was approx. Rs 24,000 crore and this year we expect the number to remain constant,” said he. Digital taking the bigger chunk of the pie With the lockdown in Mumbai, which is the creative hub and houses many Indian agencies, Sandeep Sreekumar, Managing Director, Media Moments is looking forward to seeing some creative storytelling made from the inside of four walls on digital mediums this year. "We feel this new phase will bring in new opportunities for the brands to showcase exceptional creativity and storytelling by integrating messages like social distancing, and work from home into their ads.” Sreekumar thinks digital will lead the game as advertisers have been shifting their monies from traditional to virtual platforms. “Digital platforms like Instagram Shop along with other channels including Facebook, Google and OTT platforms are likely to garner the advertiser’s attention across categories which will eventually lead to a significant upsurge in the digital ad revenue. Though, the consumer might still be a little skeptical about spending, the arrival of festivals and the announcement of IPL are likely to change their mindset for the better. We are excited to witness the trends unfold and see the new normal for the advertising industry that will lend an engaging experience to the customers through wit, humour and emotions,” said Sreekumar. Murthy is hoping that print will also see an increase in advertisers’ volume this festive season. “Digital and Print will definitely see an influx during the festive period, and OTT will be the new arena that will see more brands coming in. Also, TV will witness a spike due to IPL being held at the same time.” Khemka pointed out that brands will not go too big on media spendings as they have become cautious of what they are spending on. He said, “Due to the pandemic, TV &amp; Digital will be the biggest gainers. They will grow at the expense of the other mediums. There is cautious optimism with brands. Given the state wise lockdown is affecting sentiment, brands will be cautious before they commit big monies on media.” Auto industry, e-commerce and other virtual brands to lead the growth Experts opined that auto will see a boom because consumers are now avoiding public transport. Other categories that popped up in our discussion were EduTech, E-commerce and OTT. “Auto is likely to bounce back because people are looking for private transportation. E-commerce, EduTech, telecommunications will all bounce back first because data consumption has gone up but the market has been pretty depressed for them also. So hopefully that will pick up. FMCG demand is quite stable, one category that continued to advertise despite the lockdown because they were under the essential category, they will be steady. Once the feel-good factor starts, entertainment will start coming back. Film, digital and TV production starts, they will come back. Real estate will continue seeing a slump unless there is a big economic pick-up. So overall, it will be a mixed bag,” said Bhasin. Murthy also shared her optimism about spends from the auto and IT industry. “Auto has already begun seeing this trend as personal mobility is a higher need in the COVID and post-COVID era. Seeking a digitally enhanced and technologically superior experience across business verticals, IT is an area that showcases an enormous potential, too. Additionally, OTT platforms are also slated to bounce back with all their diverse content.” Consumers to continue being wary about their spendings With the economic downturn and uncertainty still looming around, consumer sentiment might suffer this festive season. Sharing what consumers are likely to spend on, Khemka said, “Given the pandemic I think the consumer has now become more rational. They are spending more on technology, equipment, health &amp; immunity boosters on one hand. However, they have also become cautious on discretionary expenses that can wait for some more time given the tough economic scenario. Also, the list of essentials and non-essentials is being redefined. Murthy said that the trends so far have only indicated that consumer sentiment is improving, which is more likely to continue growing during festive. “According to our OMG study, an average daily time spent across OTT platforms is over 95 minutes. Besides, online video and social media have emerged as the top entertainment mediums among Indians, allowing for a great scope of ad spend to be incorporated. It’s definitely an optimistic picture,” said Murthy.

A lot of hope rests on the festive season this year, but will it bring cheer?

The festival of colours is around the corner and like always, the country is ready to celebrate it in a grand way. It is the time of the year when the youngsters and old, family and friends come together to rub earthly colours on each other. But did you know? This gala festival is celebrated in different styles in diverse parts of India. 
 
Yes, that is true. Each state in the country enjoys the heavenly hues in a different manner. Today, let us have a look at how different parts of India celebrate this fun and colourful festival. 
 
Gujarat 
Hundreds of young boys make a human pyramid and try to reach an earthen matki full of butter hung on a high rope while the girls throw water at them. This is the classic scene that you would encounter anywhere in Gujarat on the day of <keyword id="6355460" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Holi">Holi</keyword>. Known to be the sheer devotees of <keyword id="3198" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Lord-Krishna">Lord Krishna</keyword>, Gujaratis have this special way of celebrating the festival of colours, called <keyword id="2122162" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dhulendi">Dhulendi</keyword>, which also marks the beginning of a new season. 
 
West Bengal 
Known as 'Dol Jatra' or 'Dol Purnima', the festival begins with men placing the idols of Lords Krishna and Radha in a decorated palanquin and then take it around the streets. Another beautiful ritual during Holi in West Bengal is that the head of the family keeps a fast praying for his family’s well being. After the processions and offering to the idols, the bhog or prashad is distributed amongst family and friends. 
 
Delhi 
Being the capital of India and the cultural hub, Holi is always a grand celebration for people of Delhi. Kids and youngsters form Tolis and move from one street to another, playing Holi with friends and strangers alike. Food and snacks are also a big part of the celebrations here. One can find everything from <keyword id="2122163" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gujiya">Gujiya</keyword> (an Indian dessert) to <keyword id="590917" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Thandai">Thandai</keyword> (an Indian shake) during the day. Dancing to the tunes of Bollywood and some folk songs, the festival is celebrated till Lunch after which people relax and enjoy some family time. 
 
Goa 
The ultimate partying hub of India, Goa also has its own way of celebrating Holi, which is known as Shigmo in Goa. In the traditional Goan style, the people of Goa celebrate Shigmo with fanfare and parades, followed by applying Abeer and Neel on loved ones. Several temples in and around Panaji have special arrangements for the festival. 
 
Barsana 
It is a town in Mathura, where this festival is also known as the Lathmaar Holi and it marks the classic tug of war between men and women. Holi is a week-long celebration here and at first the men from Nandgaon, the village of Lord Krishna try to get atop the temple of Radhaji, which is in Barsana. The women of Barsana try to stop these men from entering and beat them with sticks. Don’t worry, the men are heavily padded and rarely get hurt. Next day, the men of Barsana go to Nandgaon to play Holi with the women there, who again use sticks to save themselves. This mock battle is surely a treat to watch and attracts many tourists, making it a double treat of celebration and worship. 
 The traditions might be different but the festive spirit remains the same, which is reverence to the gods and welcoming the new season. Holi is one of the best and most recognised <keyword id="31692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="festivals-of-India">festivals of India</keyword> and many gather from all around the world to witness the wonderful colours. 
 
Image courtesy: Thinkstock

This Is How India Celebrates Holi

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Adnan Abidi</div></div></div>Holi is one of the most popular festivals in India, celebrating the coming of spring with bursts of color and fire. 
The ancient Hindu festival is also known as the festival of colors, coming usually near or on the vernal equinox. Hindus celebrate it by smearing each other with colored powder, spraying each other with colored water from pichkaris (water guns), or pelting each other with water balloons and eggs. 
The official festival begins today. We've collected some of the most spectacular photos from this year's festivities in India here.
<h3>Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil. It originates from an ancient Hindu story about the fall of the demon king Hiranyakashipu and his evil sister Holika. The king's son Prahlada opposed his evil father. To silence Prahlada, Holika convinced Prahlada to sit on a bonfire with her. When the fire was lit, the god Vishnu protected Prahlada and let Holika burn. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Adnan Abidi</div></div></div>On the eve of Holi, a bonfire topped with an effigy of Prahlada and Holika is lit. People then sing and dance around the fire. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh</div></div></div> The next day, people spray colored powder or colored solutions onto each other to celebrate Prahalada's triumph and the defeat of winter by spring.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Ahmad Masood</div></div></div>The main day of the Holi festival is called Dhuleti. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee</div></div></div>Teens and young people often dance to the beat of the dholak, a two-headed hand-drum common in South Asia.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">AP Photo/Anupam Nath</div></div></div>Traditionally, washable, natural plant-derived colors are used, including turmeric, neem, dhak, and kumkum. In recent years, water-based commercial pigments have begun to be used.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Ahmad Masood</div></div></div>Anyone in an open area such as a street, park, or any other public place is fair game to be hit with color from the pichkaris or water balloons. Any private residence is fair game to be smeared with the colored powder.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">AP Photo/Anupam Nath</div></div></div>Most often, children are sprayed with the color solutions.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Babu</div></div></div>While adults get smeared with the dry colored powder. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Amit Dave</div></div></div>The festival is craziest for kids, but everyone gets in the on the fun.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Amit Dave</div></div></div>Widows do not usually partake in Holi, as they are supposed to renounce earthly pleasures. However, this year, the nonprofit Sulabh International organized a celebration for widows at an ashram in Vrindavan.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Ahmad Masood</div></div></div>The celebration is not wild in every part of India. In some Western parts of India, the festival includes far more praying and singing of hymns.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Amit Dave</div></div></div>In most regions of India, however, there is no prayer. The day is meant for partying and fun.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Utpal Baruah</div></div></div>After everyone is soaked in color, participants clean up and head to their family's and friends' houses for traditional delicacies. The festival is an opportune time to mend fences with estranged friends and family - it is also considered "the festival of forgiveness."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Babu</div></div></div></h3>

15 Unbelievably Colorful Photos Of India's Holi Festival

<ul><li>Amazon’s Great Indian Festival is the longest this year as the brand hasn't set an end date yet and the sale is likely to go on for a month. </li><li>This year’s sale has already broken some of the records set last year. </li><li>Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India shares with us some of the trends that the e-commerce giant has seen so far, how the platform is working towards improving overall consumer experience, marketing strategy and much more. </li></ul>Consumer sentiment seems to have picked up during Navratri after seeing a muted affair during Raksha Bandhan and Ganesh Chaturthi. E-commerce firms Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Snapdeal together sold goods worth $3.1 billion in the first 4.5 days of the first festival season sale, revealed management consultancy Redseer. This growth trajectory of e-commerce platforms in India testifies how customers are increasingly recognising the importance of comfort shopping within closed doors, and after seeing their businesses take a plunge in the first three months of the lockdown, more and more sellers are coming online with the increasing adoption of e-commerce platforms. Similarly, Amazon India has also been seeing a year of firsts in its ongoing Great Indian Festival and is breaking last year’s records already. So far, the platform has recorded the highest number of first time shoppers, saw a 50% increase in new sellers and witnessed the strongest-ever start for SMBs. 91% of its first-time shoppers were from smaller cities who browsed the app in local Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Total iPhones sold on Amazon in one day were more than the total iPhones sold in the entire festive sale period of last year. The sale has also helped Amazon accelerate growth across its portfolio. Over 1 lakh customers bought Amazon devices, Echo and Fire TV devices. Kindle sales were around 2.5X higher than the first day of the sale last year. Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India calls this year’s Great Indian Festival ‘Bharat’s biggest celebration on Amazon ever’ as Tier II and III towns take the forefront. He further told us some of the trends that the e-commerce giant has seen so far, how the platform is working towards improving overall consumer experience, challenges of breaking the clutter in the e-commerce landscape, marketing strategy, and most demanded products on the platform. Excerpts: Q. The role of engagement and communication has never been more important, especially in today’s digital-first world. How are you making sure your communication during this year's Great Indian Festival is relevant to consumers? These are unprecedented times and COVID-19 has impacted the sense of normalcy for everyone. This Great Indian Festival, our focus remains on providing reliability to customers, ensuring safety of employees and helping sellers as they get back on their feet. These include more than 6,50,000 sellers &amp; SMBs including artisans, women entrepreneurs, emerging Indian brands and local store owners from programs like Karigar, Saheli, Launchpad and Local Shops. At the same time, we want to help customers find everything they need – from the latest mobile phone to groceries and get them delivered safely to their homes. Our campaign with the ‘Khushiyon Ka Darwaza’ symbolizes the joy Amazon’s Great Indian Festival brings in the lives of this entire ecosystem of customers, sellers, delivery associates, brand partners and more. Q. What are some of the exclusive deals you have on the platform to woo consumers? This festive season, lakhs of Small &amp; Medium Businesses (SMBs) are offering unique selection to customers helping them rebuild and accelerate their business in tough times. Over 4 crore products from Small &amp; Medium Businesses (SMBs); products from over 20,000 local shops across 100 cities will be available during the Great Indian Festival. Customers across the country will have the opportunity to shop for unique products from thousands of Amazon sellers under various programs such as Local Shops, Amazon Launchpad, Amazon Saheli, and Amazon Karigar and enjoy deals/offers extended by lakhs of small businesses. This year witnessed the strongest ever start for SMBs with record sales; over 5,000 sellers clock sales worth INR 1MM (10 lakh) in SMB pre-festive lead up &amp; first 48 hours of the Great Indian Festival. With over 1.1 Lakh sellers receiving orders, we are humbled how sellers, brands and ecosystem partners nationwide have come together during these unprecedented times to spread joy across the country. Q. What are some of the other trends you are expecting to see this festive? At this moment in time, our focus is to ensure our customers get all that they need safely and that we are able to strongly help our small business partners with their business revival to manage through these challenging times. Customers recognize that ecommerce is the safest way for them to get what they need, and sellers know that e-commerce is the best way for them to serve their customers as their footfalls have been impacted. We are seeing a 50% increase in new seller registrations vs pre COVID19. The sellers on Amazon.in have been receiving orders for consumer electronics, study from home essentials, kitchen &amp; home appliances, smart devices, laptops, mobile phones, phone accessories, personal grooming products, apparel and more besides groceries and other essential products. Q. With the on-going festive season, many other platforms will have their Sales days too. How do you then cut the clutter and make sure you win consumers? How will you be different from the other players in the segment? As a customer-obsessed company, we remain focused on ways to serve the customers in the country everywhere and fulfil all their needs. Our focus remains on what is best for our sellers &amp; customers. This Great Indian Festival is all about them. Q. How are you working towards improving the overall consumer experience? Tier II &amp; III towns see a significant number of customers shop on Amazon.in, with many being first time customers. To address customer needs and enable millions of customers from India to discover the joy, convenience and benefits of online shopping, ahead of the festive season, they can shop in one of the six languages of their choice including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. In fact, the largest number of new customers shopped for the first time on Amazon.in; 91% of new customers came from smaller cities as customers experienced the Great Indian Festival in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Q. Do you anticipate people to buy more, considering a lot of people might have pushed buying things for the festive season? With over 1.1 Lakh sellers receiving orders, 66% sellers, 91% of new customers, and 66% of new Prime sign-ups from small towns; shopping in 5 Indian languages; and orders from over 98.4% of India’s pin-codes in just 48 hours, this Great Indian Festival is truly Bharat’s biggest celebration on Amazon ever. During the first 48 hours, top sold categories were Smartphones, Large Appliances and Consumer Electronics with leading brands OnePlus, Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi making record sales. New products received a rousing response; popular new products were OnePlus 8T, Samsung M31 Prime Edition, OnePlus Nord (Gray Ash), Xbox Series S, Maggi 2 minute Desi Cheesy Masala, Samsung 6.5 kg fully automatic washing machine, new collection from BIBA &amp; Max among over 1,100 new launches Customers shopped for everything big and small <ul><li>Smartphones remained popular among customers: iPhone 11, Redmi Note Series, Redmi 9A, OnePlus 8T, OnePlus Nord and Samsung M31 Prime Edition were among the popular smartphones on Amazon.in; Total iPhones sold on Amazon.in in one day were more than the total iPhones sold in entire festive sale period of last year</li><li>Popular appliances were fully automatic top &amp; front load washing machines, direct cool refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens and dishwashers</li><li>Top-selling electronics were laptops, headphones, tablets, cameras and smartwatches. Customers also loved selection across security cameras and drones. Asus, Lenovo &amp; HP were leading laptop brands; Samsung &amp; Apple leading tablets, and TP Link &amp; Netgear were leading in networking products</li><li>TVs with Alexa OnePlus 43”, OnePlus 32” and Samsung 32” popular this season</li><li>Smart bulbs and bedsheets in Home, water purifiers and mixer grinders in Kitchen</li><li>Women’s kurtis, sarees, casual tops, t-shirts and athleisure popular in Apparel</li><li>Suitcases, luggage sets and gold jewellery popular this season</li><li>More customers are looking at gaming as a hobby – gaming consoles popular during GIF </li><li>In health &amp; hygiene categories, Savlon disinfectant Sprays, Whisper sanitary pads, Chyawanprash, Dettol &amp; Dove bathing soaps see a spike</li><li>Within grocery, products with dry fruits, spreads &amp; cooking supplies were popular</li><li>Vaseline &amp; Ponds Body lotions, Dove &amp; Wow shampoos, Lakme Kajal were popular beauty products</li><li>For pet parents, Pedigree Adult Dog Food and Whiskas dry cat food were among the popular products </li><li>Baby products such as diapers &amp; skincare products like Himalaya baby lotion &amp; Pampers anti rash diapers were widely sought after </li><li>The Nerf rival blasters - a new launch in India was among the most sought after newly launched toys</li><li>Treadmills in fitness essentials, grills, fertilizer and soil in Garden &amp; Outdoors, Car care in Tools &amp; Equipment also popular in the country</li></ul>Amazon Devices <ul><li>Customers loved Alexa – Prime Early Access during the Great Indian Festival was the single biggest day of sale for Echo devices on Amazon.in</li><li>Customers loved the new Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite; streaming media player category sold nearly 2x units vs. the first day of GIF last year</li><li>Over 1 lakh customers bought Amazon devices, Echo and Fire TV devices</li><li>The Echo Dot (3rd Gen) and the All New Fire TV Stick were among the top 10 products sold on Amazon.in </li><li>Kindle sales were more than 2.5X vs. first day of the sale last year</li></ul>

Amazon's ongoing Great Indian Festival has already broken last year's records

Year on year, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains eagerly await Diwali. The whole world identifies Diwali as the most important festival of India. In fact, over the recent past, other countries have also started celebrating Diwali to admire their ties with India and Indian culture. Here are some interesting things you must know about Diwali before celebrating it. Diwali is a highly significant festival for the Hindus Diwali is described as the festival of lights marking prosperity and triumph of good over evil. Hence, Diwali holds a prime significance in Hindu religion with several dimensions to it including religious, spiritual, social, cultural and psychological. <keyword id="8251917" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-festival-of-prosperity">The festival of prosperity</keyword> Honoring Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and inviting her to every home is the most important theme of Diwali. The array of lamps lighted on this occasion by every household is meant to invite Lakshmi into the house who brings with her wealth, goodness and development. Legends connected with Diwali Diwali reminds us of many mythological stories in Hinduism. Diwali marks the triumph of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasur. In Northern India, people celebrate the return of Sri Rama and Sita to the city of Ayodhya after defeating the mighty demon king. Kali puja is famous in Bengal during Diwali. Diwali is a pan India festival Perhaps no other festival is celebrated with such a great enthusiasm than Diwali all over India. The festival assumes different colors, flavors and styles across India. However, the spirit of Diwali brings all Indians together. In fact Indians living abroad celebrate Diwali in a grand manner in a way inspiring the global communities around them. Diwali and Jains Diwali is a significant festival for the Jains as Lord Mahavira, the last Tirtankar of the religion is said to have attained Nirvana on October 15, 527 BC on the fourteenth day (Chaturdashi) of the Kartika month. Diwali and Sikhs Sikhs celebrate Diwali as Bandi Chhor Divas as the history says that it was on the day of Diwali that Guru Har Gobind Ji freed himself and many Hindu Kings from the captivity of Jahangir, the Islamic ruler and reached the Golden Temple of Amritsar. In fact, it was on the day of Diwali in 1577 AD that the foundation stone was laid for the construction of the Golden Temple. Socio-religious festival Diwali is a socio-religious festival. Families come together to celebrate Diwali. Newly married couple visit their in-laws house and receive fabulous gifts and sumptuous treats. People spend luxuriously and dine merrily. New clothes, sweets, crackers and get-togethers make Diwali the most enjoyable festival. Diwali brings more business Businesses thrive during Diwali. People buy new clothes, utensils, jewels, vehicles, household items, furniture, sweets, groceries and others and hence every business is seen performing at its peak during the Diwali season. The economic activity across the country reaches the peak during Diwali. Diwali outside India While many countries are coming out to organize Diwali celebrations, the largest celebration of Diwali outside India happens in the city of Leicester in UK. The vibrant light shows, music and dance programs organized in this city are watched by thousands on this day on the streets. Public holiday on Diwali Diwali is the most important public holiday in India. Different countries have different versions of Diwali. In fact, Diwali is also a public holiday in many countries including Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Myanmar, Singapore, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia and Fiji.

10 things you should know about diwali festival

<keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword>, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s most iconic festival isn’t a one day traditional <keyword id="3378" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Festival-of-lights">festival of lights</keyword>, but a <a href="https://www.ganeshaspeaks.com/predictions/astrology/5-days-of-diwali/">series of festivities</a> with Dhanteras marking the beginning and wrapping up with Bhai Dooj, the festival that marks the unconditional love shared between brothers and sisters. Whether you call it Diwali or Deepavali, at the end of day it’s ‘the festival of lights’. And, like the best stories, it signifies the victory of good over evil, or in this case, of light over darkness. The unique thing about Diwali is that it’s not only celebrated in India but all over the world and everyone wants their Diwali to be as authentic an experience as possible. Doesn’t matter whether that means doubling up on the sweets, putting up sparkling lights or designing intricate rangolis outside their doors. So here are the five days of festivities that mark Diwali for all those celebrating it across the world:

Diwali, one of India’s biggest festivals, isn’t just one day of celebration - it’s five

<ul><li><keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword> is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains across the country. </li><li>In fact, the various <keyword id="8264189" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="reasons-to-celebrate-diwali">reasons to celebrate Diwali</keyword> don’t just vary from religion to religion, but also from region to region. </li><li>However, the most popular reason is the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana. </li><li>From goddess Lakshmi’s birthday to laying down the foundation of the Golden Temple, people have many reasons to celebrate Diwali. </li></ul>Diwali or the festival of lights is the most significant festival in India celebrated by millions of Indians. Diwali is considered a Hindu festival but also celebrated by Jains and Sikhs too. There are many historical and mythological reasons behind this great Indian festival. Here are lesser known reasons why different parts of India celebrate the festival of lights - North India celebrates Diwali as the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya. After 14 years of exile, Rama along his wife Sita and brother Laxman returned home.Since it was a new moon day and was dark, his subjects lit diyas across the kingdom that day.This tradition is still followed to this day. In South India, celebration of Diwali varies even among the states. Kerala generally does not celebrate Diwali. Many speculate that this may be because King Bali a virtuous demon king was killed this day. The other three states celebrates the occasion in honor of Lord Krishna's consort Satyabhama killing the demon king — Narakasura and freeing thousands of girls in his captivity. It is celebrated a day before Diwali, and the occasion is called Naraka Chaturdashi. In West India, Diwali is considered as the start of a new year and is predominantly about worshipping the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. It’s the festival of light and wealth, especially in Gujarat Many events related to prosperity like it opening new offices, sealing marriages or buying a vehicles is scheduled for Diwali. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi comes to their home and blesses them with wealth and prosperity for the coming year. In East India, Diwali is celebrated under the alias Kali Puja in honour of Goddess Durga’s fierce avatar: Kali. Along with Durga Puja, Kali Puja is a big event in Bengal and Assam.

Here are different reasons why India celebrates Diwali

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A coronavirus "super-spreader" who refused to self-isolate prompted the quarantine of about tens of thousands, officials said.</li><li>The "super-spreader" did not self-quarantine after traveling to Italy and Germany, and attended a large Sikh festival in India in mid-March.</li><li>The man died shortly after the festival, and was posthumously diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.</li><li>His diagnosis prompted officials to lock down 20 neighboring villages in northern India in a bid to contain the spread.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>A coronavirus "super-spreader" who refused to self-isolate after traveling prompted the quarantine of about 40,000 people in India, officials said.Residents from 20 villages in northern India have been quarantined after coming in contact with a 70-year-old man at a Sikh festival of Hola Mohalla, which attracts about 10,000 per day of the six-day festival in mid-March, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52061915">BBC</a> reported.The man refused to self-quarantine after traveling back to India from Italy and Germany, according to the BBC report. He died shortly after the festival and was posthumously diagnosed with the coronavirus.BBC reported that a week after his death, 19 of his relatives tested positive for the coronavirus, which causes a respiratory disease known as COVID-19."So far, we have been able to trace 550 people who came into direct contact with him and the number is growing. We have sealed 15 villages around the area he stayed," an official told BBC. Another five adjoining villages were later put on lockdown as well.The coronavirus has infected more than half a million people worldwide, and the global death toll has surpassed 27,000. In India alone, the country has nearly 900 cases and 20 deaths, but with one of the lowest testing rates in the world, experts believe the figures could be much higher, BBC reported.India imposed a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-high-population-density-lack-hygiene-complicate-india-coronavirus2020-3">nationwide lockdown</a> for 21 days earlier this week, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-indias-billion-people-lockdown-stop-covid-19-spread-2020-3">impacting 1.3 billion people</a>."There will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a televised address, though residents are still able to buy essentials like medicine and food.Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.

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