New customers grow 34% in the opening hour, while non-metro markets account for around 60% of demand
Flipkart recorded 6.3 million concurrent users during the opening hour of the 13th edition of The Big Billion Days (TBBD) 2026, marking a strong start to the festive shopping season. More than six times as many customers shopped on the platform compared with a regular hour, while new customer additions grew 34%.
Nearly half of the visits in the first hour came from Tier 3 towns and beyond, with non-metro markets contributing approximately 60% of demand. Early Access, which began on October 8 for eligible members, generated over 287 million sessions.
Large appliances grew 30% year on year, while tablet sales increased 73%. Beauty grew 42%, with Flipkart selling more than 1,600 men’s perfume units per minute at peak. In mobiles, one in four customers opted for product exchange and one in three chose No Cost EMI.
Flipkart Minutes recorded a 3.5-fold increase in orders compared with regular days, while new customers grew 11-fold during the opening hour. An iPhone 17 was delivered to a customer in New Delhi in 3.4 minutes during Early Access.
Content-led shopping also gained traction, with over 1,000 hours of live commerce and more than 500,000 short-format videos attracting 12.7 million users. Around 64% of Voice Search users came from Tier 2-plus markets.
The sale also boosted sellers, with 51% of transacting sellers recording twice their regular-day growth. Sellers in Tier 2-plus markets, including MSMEs and small businesses, grew 2.9 times.
The opening trends highlight strong festive demand across metros and smaller towns, with customers seeking value, convenience and a wider range of products.
