Marquee online shopping events are increasingly expanding beyond marketplaces, with D2C brands and offline retailers launching concurrent promotions and campaigns. These sale periods are evolving into large-scale commerce events that bring together marketplaces, brand websites and physical retail channels.
Insights from more than 18 million order items processed through Uniware, Unicommerce’s AI-powered commerce enablement platform, comparing the Prime Day sale periods in 2026 and 2025, highlight this shift. D2C brand websites recorded over 130% year-on-year growth in order volumes, along with approximately 110% growth in gross merchandise value (GMV).
Demand also expanded beyond metro markets. Beauty & Personal Care order volumes nearly tripled across Tier 3 cities, contributing to around 140% GMV growth. In Health & Pharma, Tier 3 cities accounted for the largest share of order volumes and recorded approximately 90% year-on-year GMV growth.
Commenting on the trends, a Unicommerce spokesperson said, “Marquee sale events are becoming important commerce moments across channels. The strong growth witnessed on D2C websites and in Tier 3 markets reflects how digital commerce is expanding in scale and reach. Technology and AI-led engagement are also helping brands respond to consumer intent more effectively during high-demand periods.”
Insights from Convertway, Unicommerce’s marketing automation platform, showed that hundreds of brands used its AI voice agent, Catalyst, to initiate over 1.90 lakh AI-powered calls during the 2026 Prime Day sale period and the four preceding days.
The trends indicate that major sale events are becoming independent demand drivers, sustaining commerce momentum beyond traditional festive shopping periods.
