ECOMMERCE
Cars to clogs: Dhanteras brings out best retail day of year; takes festive value sales up 20%
Buoyant festive demand in Dhanteras, India’s largest sales period, will be a relief to companies and retailers as it comes in the backdrop of deficient monsoons, high food inflation, volatility in IT sector employment, continued geopolitical uncertainties and risks of El Niño weather conditions.
Vehicle registrations fall 24% in October on high base
Registrations of vehicles in October experienced a significant decline compared to the previous year's records. This drop was largely due to an earlier festive season that drove higher demand last year. Despite the decrease, certain vehicle segments like electric vehicles showed remarkable growth in registrations. The upcoming Dhanteras and Diwali festivities are expected to positively impact sales this month. Dealers remain cautiously optimistic about demand, especially in rural markets.
Honasa Consumer revenue grows 36% in Q2, highest since listing
The company’s net profit rose 87% to Rs 73 crore in the second quarter of FY27, compared with Rs 39 crore in the year-ago period. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (Ebitda) nearly doubled to Rs 93 crore from Rs 48 crore a year earlier, while the Ebitda margin expanded to 12.7% from 8.9%.
Stop AI from Eroding Your Brand
Artificial intelligence is changing how companies operate and how customers experience their brands. New research suggests that companies with lower levels of “brand debt”—the trust, relevance, and consistency lost when products, experiences, and decisions drift away from customer expectations—are significantly more likely to outperform their peers. Drawing on a benchmark of 60 companies and lessons from Bose’s digital transformation, the lessons here are that managing brand debt should become an enterprise-wide priority rather than a marketing exercise. As AI increasingly shapes customer interactions, companies that manage brand debt deliberately will be better positioned to strengthen trust, sustain growth, and preserve competitive advantage
Festive stocking drives 36% jump in TReDS volumes as small businesses seek working capital
The five platforms operating under the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) financed invoices worth Rs 75,788 crore in August and September, a 36% increase from Rs 55,549 crore in the same months last year, according to RBI data.
Shiprocket posts maiden profit on strong core business growth
The company swung to a profit of Rs 60 lakh ($63,487) in the quarter ended September 30, from a loss of Rs 20.29 crore a year ago
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Nykaa gives beauty a quick-commerce makeover, targets expansion to 25-plus cities by FY27-end
Nykaa is expanding its quick-commerce service, Nykaa Now, to more than 25 cities by FY27-end, from 15 in Q2FY27. The company is banking on a deeper beauty catalogue, higher average order values and greater purchase frequency to differentiate its offering, though it has not disclosed the service's standalone financial performance.
Chip startup Agrani Labs looks to raise $108 million from Peak XV, Google, Samsung
Peak XV Partners is leading the round and is expected to contribute more than half of the total funding. Google, HCL Tech, Samsung Ventures and Stargazer, an investment firm set up by Groww's founders, are also expected to participate, the people cited above said.
Beyond tech: Kotak MF’s Shibani Kurian on India’s next innovation-led winners
Innovation-led investment opportunities in India are extending well beyond technology, with healthcare, auto components and industrials emerging as key areas of interest, according to Shibani Kurian, Head of Equity Research and Senior Fund Manager at Kotak Mahindra AMC. “Innovation can be seen across sectors and not necessarily limited to technology,” she said.
From bikes to billions: Rapido’s gross order value quadruples in two years to $4 billion
The Bengaluru-based company is averaging around 8.3 million orders a day across its services, making it one of India’s largest consumer internet platforms by transaction volumes. Ride-hailing continues to comprise more than 95% of the company’s daily average orders.
JioHotstar launches StreamToCart Ads, enabling in-stream shopping through Instamart
Introducing a game-changer in digital advertising, JioHotstar has launched StreamToCart Ads, an interactive format that merges streaming with online shopping. Viewers can now browse and directly add products to their shopping carts without interrupting their viewing, consequently boosting user engagement. Advertisers are empowered to monitor user behaviors from impressions to purchases, optimizing their marketing strategies.
Soaring tech costs push festive shoppers towards EMIs
At Bengaluru-based Pai International Electronics, which operates across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 70-80% of smartphone sales during the festive season were financed through EMIs, up from 40-50% last year, said director Rahul Pai. At Vijay Sales, which operates 181 stores nationwide, EMIs accounted for about 70-75% of festive-season sales.
Fintechs fortify cyber defences; Logistics cos in the speed lane
Happy Monday! Fintechs are stepping up security as AI-powered cyberattacks become more sophisticated. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
New GST norms to simplify pan-India expansion for D2C brands
Among a set of changes approved by the 57th GST Council meeting on October 8, are new rules that allow brands to declare an ecommerce platform's warehouse as their local principal place of business (PPO) starting November 1, subject to conditions.
New-age logistics companies see rapid delivery as key revenue driver
Delhivery and Shadowfax, two of India’s largest third-party logistics companies, are expanding their same-day and next-day delivery services, betting that merchants will pay more for faster deliveries as competition for customers intensifies.
Reliance Retail says profit margins will improve from next year as its online business investments pay off
With ongoing investments in ecommerce, Reliance Retail expects better Ebitda margins. The company is enhancing dark stores to ensure quicker delivery times and adapting retail spaces to cater to online shoppers. Although recent reports indicate a decrease in net profit, digital commerce still surged by 42%. Jeyandran Venugopal, the chief executive, expresses assurance in maximizing current assets for growth while steering clear of extravagant competitor expenditures.
Festive spending drives record UPI transactions in October
UPI processed transactions worth Rs 31.53 lakh crore during the month, a 16% rise from a year earlier and the highest on record, signalling that the platform continues to expand even as consumers navigate higher prices of electronics and other festive purchases this year.
GST reforms: Easier registration for small e-commerce sellers, faster refunds to take effect Nov 1
Simplified GST registration processes will benefit small sellers using e-commerce platforms without physical presence in multiple states. The GST portal will offer user-friendly interfaces and clearer documentation requirements for registration applications. Automatic sanctioning of full refund claims for excess balance in electronic cash ledgers will expedite the refund process. Flexibility in post-supply discount taxation will support industries with volume-based incentives and trade schemes.
Reliance Retail Q2 profit takes a hit on Qcomm push
Reliance Retail Ventures reported a significant drop in net profit, down 24.5% year-on-year to ₹2,619 crore in the last quarter. Despite this, revenue improved by 5.8% to ₹80,220 crore, largely driven by a surge in grocery sales. The company's profitability was affected by strategic investments and evolving festive season patterns, alongside rising finance costs stemming from increased borrowing and interest rates. Focus remains on improving transactions and business model adaptation.
Delhivery swings to Rs 41 crore profit as revenue rises 20% in Q2
The Gurugram-based company posted a net profit of Rs 41 crore during the three month period, compared to a Rs 50 crore net loss in the same quarter last year. The turnaround in Delhivery’s bottomline was consistent with its improving unit economics over the last few quarters. In the April-June period, it reported Rs 32 crore in net profit.
Amazon projects fourth quarter sales below estimates
It expects revenue of between $240.0 billion and $247.0 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with analysts' average estimate of $244.51 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Global FMCG giants find an Indian answer to their Western slowdown
Global consumer giants including PepsiCo, Nestle, Unilever, Pernod Ricard and Coca-Cola are increasingly looking to India for growth as demand slows in the US and Europe. Companies are betting on premiumisation, wider distribution and fast-growing channels such as ecommerce and quick commerce, with several reporting stronger momentum in India than in developed markets.
Meesho sees near-term margin pressure as it reinvests in growth
The value commerce platform’s September quarter results on Wednesday showed its contribution margin rising to 6% of net merchandise value (NMV) in the second quarter of FY27 from 4.6% in the April-June period. Contribution margin is the income after deducting direct, order-linked expenses.
Shadowfax revenue rises 57% in Q2, net profit jumps fivefold
Its total revenue, including other income, rose 58% YoY to Rs 1,558 crore in Q2 FY27. The Bengaluru-based company’s total expenses rose 53% YoY to Rs 1,490 core, driven by other expenses, employee benefits expenses and depreciation and amortisation costs.
IKEA to open new city centre store in Bengaluru next month, expanding urban presence
IKEA is set to open a new city centre store in Bengaluru next month, which will enhance accessibility. The upcoming store will feature an 80,000 square feet retail area with over 5,200 products available. This expansion follows the success of IKEA's large-format store opened in June 2022 in Nagasandra. IKEA aims to cater to evolving customer needs by providing a smaller urban outlet.
Green financing in India rises to $82 billion, but flows mostly to established sectors: Report
The Landscape of Green Finance in India, now in its fourth edition, maps actual finance flows or disbursements across sources, instruments, sectors, and subsectors for financial years 2022-23 and 2023-24. According to the report, while green finance has increased substantially between 2016-17 and 2023-24, financial flows remain concentrated in established sectors and technologies.
New GST registration route allows online sellers to expand using ecommerce warehouses as local bases
Starting November 1, small online sellers will have a new option for GST registration. They can use ecommerce warehouses as local bases in other states, promoting nationwide sales. This initiative is part of a broader effort to simplify regulations and reduce expansion costs for small traders. Eligible sellers must meet specific conditions, including tax liability limits and operator consent.
Meesho expects stronger Q3 growth due to change in festive sale timeline
The first day of Meesho's annual flagship sale, the Mega Blockbuster Sale, saw orders growing about 75% YoY. Its transacting customers increased by about 60% YoY.
Tata Motors, Amazon partner to deploy 3,000 electric trucks for ecommerce logistics
Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy flagged off the initial fleet of trucks. "I congratulate Tata Motors and Amazon on this significant collaboration to deploy 3,000 electric trucks across Amazon's transportation network in India," Kumaraswamy said.
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