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Skincare gift combos, de-tan kits, makeup face palettes, healthy chocolate combos, scent hampers, books and bookmarks, silver bands, rings, gold pendants...
Couples tried hard this Valentine season to sweep each other off their feet, with a little help from online platforms. While they may or may not have succeeded in their efforts, businesses certainly did.
In the first 11 days of February 2025, the e-commerce enablement SaaS platform, Unicommerce, processed over 10 million gifting orders. This shift became obvious with a surge in demand for personalised gifts.
This year's sales witnessed a 24 per cent year-on-year gross merchandise value growth, with a higher value growth seen on brand websites than on marketplaces.
The popular categories include skincare gift combos, de-tan kits, makeup face palettes, healthy chocolate combos, scent hampers, books and bookmarks, and jewellery products like silver bands, rings, and gold pendants.
During the nine days of this month, Tier-II cities recorded over 37 per cent higher volumes as compared to the same period in 2024.
While marketplaces recorded higher volumes across categories, including makeup and jewellery, brand Web sites witnessed higher demand for apparel and accessories like couple wear combos, polo t-shirts, and travel accessories, including sling bags and wallets.
Unicommerce analysed gifting trends based on orders processed through its platform, Uniware, ahead of Valentine's Day. The platform is used by over 7,000 leading brands, according to the company.
Brands are expanding their online offerings, including perishables like flowers, with customisable options.
"Valentine's remains one of the biggest occasions for gifting in India, and flowers continue to dominate as the preferred choice," Tarun Joshi, founder and CEO, IGP, said.
Aditya Labroo, chief operating officer, GIVA said, "The online gifting sector in India is playing an important role in driving consumer demand."
In the last two calendar years, Unicommerce recorded over 40 million order items processed through its Uniware platform by over 800 gift-commerce sellers, including online-first D2C brands, omnichannel retailers as well as small online sellers.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
