AI-Powered Customer Engagement and Higher Spending Defined India’s Summer E-Commerce Sales Season
Mumbai: Artificial Intelligence-driven customer engagement, rising average order values, and sustained consumer demand were among the key trends observed during India’s summer e-commerce sale season, according to insights released from Unicommerce’s ecosystem of solutions.
The summer sales period included major campaigns such as Amazon’s Great Summer Sale, Flipkart’s Sasa Lele and Big Bachat Days, Myntra’s End of Reason Sale, and several category-focused promotions by e-commerce and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands.
AI Expands Beyond Customer Support
According to the analysis, AI technologies played an increasing role in customer engagement, order recovery, and fulfilment operations during the sale period.
Brands using Catalyst, an AI-powered voice agent offered by Convertway, engaged with more than 1.15 lakh shoppers through activities such as abandoned cart recovery, cash-on-delivery confirmations, address verification, and customer communication.
The company reported that AI-assisted outreach helped recover orders worth more than ₹1.3 crore during the sale period.
In addition, nearly 1,000 AI-enabled automated messaging campaigns reached over 34 lakh consumers, supporting marketing and customer engagement efforts.
The findings indicate that businesses are increasingly using AI to improve conversions, recover potential revenue, and enhance operational efficiency.
Average Order Values Increase
Consumer spending also recorded growth across several product categories.
Data processed through Unicommerce’s order management platform, Uniware, showed:
- Average order values in Home Decor and Furnishings increased by more than 25%
- Average order values in FMCG categories rose by over 16%
The increase suggests stronger consumer demand across both discretionary and everyday purchase segments.
Demand Remained Strong Throughout the Sale Period
Despite the first major sale campaign beginning on May 7 this year, compared with May 1 in 2025, shopping activity remained consistent throughout the season.
Comparing equivalent sale weeks across both years, order volumes recorded:
- 29% growth during the opening week
- 41% growth during the second week
- 14%, 24%, and 32% growth respectively across the following three weeks
The analysis indicates continued consumer participation throughout the extended sale period.
Quick Commerce Continues to Expand
Quick commerce platforms also recorded significant growth during the season, with order volumes increasing by more than 60% year-on-year.
Nutraceuticals and Supplements, along with Home Decor and Furnishings, accounted for a substantial share of quick commerce orders.
Among categories, Beauty and Personal Care recorded the highest growth, followed by Health and Pharma, and Fashion and Accessories.
The trend reflects the continued expansion of quick commerce beyond traditional convenience-focused purchases.
Improvement in Delivery Performance
The report also highlighted improvements in order fulfilment and return management.
Analysis by Shipway, Unicommerce’s logistics platform, found that brands reduced return-to-origin (RTO) rates to 17% during the summer sale season, compared with approximately 25% during the corresponding period last year.
The improvement was attributed to increased focus on order validation, delivery optimisation, and customer communication.
Among regions, Mizoram, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Goa, and Kerala recorded the lowest RTO rates during the sale period.
E-Commerce Trends Continue to Evolve
The findings suggest that AI-driven customer engagement, higher-value purchases, improved logistics performance, and the continued growth of quick commerce are becoming important factors in India’s evolving e-commerce landscape.
According to the analysis, these trends are expected to remain significant as the industry prepares for upcoming shopping events, including Amazon’s Prime Day sale.
