Non-metro markets drove ~73% of orders and seller participation grew ~72% YoY, as tradition and customisation shape festive demand
Over the past month, Rakhi shopping gathered momentum on Meesho, with the platform recording ~36% growth in orders and ~38% growth in GMV compared with the corresponding Rakhi shopping cycle last year.
E-commerce Expands Deeper Into India’s Small Towns
Non-metro India accounted for ~73% of all Rakhi orders this year, underscoring how strongly smaller towns are driving festive e-commerce growth beyond India’s largest cities. The fastest growth came from Tier 3 and Tier 4 markets. Interestingly, Dadri, a small industrial town in Uttar Pradesh, led with ~105% YoY growth, followed by Nabarangapur (Odisha), Kasganj, Dhamtari and Nainpur (Madhya Pradesh).
Prepaid Adoption Rises as More Sellers Bet on the Festive Season
Payment behaviour continued to evolve, with 58% of Rakhi orders placed using prepaid modes this season, reflecting growing customer trust in shopping on Meesho. The festive opportunity also drew more businesses to the platform, with the number of sellers offering Rakhi products growing 72% YoY. More small businesses and entrepreneurs used the occasion to expand their catalogues and tap into festive demand across India.
Personalisation Finds Its Way Into Rakhi Shopping
Even as new formats entered the mix, tradition continued to anchor demand. The season's best-seller was a bracelet-style Rakhi set bundled with greeting cards. Parallely, customers increasingly looked to personalise their celebrations: Personalised Name Rakhis saw a sharp rise in demand, reflecting a growing appetite for gifting that feels made just for the recipient.
Rakhi 2026 reflected the growing scale of festive commerce on Meesho. From rising demand across smaller towns and higher prepaid adoption to growing seller participation, the season reinforced Meesho’s role in bringing more of Bharat’s consumers and entrepreneurs into e-commerce.