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Fashion and accessories emerged as the most significant category in 2024, contributing 30 per cent of the total order volume, followed closely by beauty, wellness, and personal care at 19 per cent, according to Unicommerce, an e-commerce enabler company.
Within fashion, casual wear and western wear continued to be customer favourites. Among beauty products, face and body washes, moisturizers, and sunscreens led the pack, alongside health supplements and sunglasses in other categories. Online shopping saw a remarkable rise in Tier-3 cities, which outpaced other regions in terms of order volume growth. Travel accessories, including backpacks, laptop sleeves, and motorcycle gear, surged by 200 per cent. Watches recorded a 100 per cent increase, while books and gaming accessories grew by 85 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively. E-commerce platforms offered steeper discounts in 2024, ranging between 15-30 per cent, compared to 10-25 per cent in 2023. This trend was particularly noticeable in high-volume categories such as fashion, beauty, and FMCG products. Average Order Values (AoV) also rose across categories. FMCG products saw a 17 per cent increase in AoV, climbing from Rs 450+ in 2023 to Rs 530+ in 2024. Electronics and home appliances experienced a 12 per cent jump, while home decor recorded a similar rise in AoV. The return rate of customer-initiated orders dropped from 10 per cent in 2023 to 7.8 per cent in 2024, reflecting improvements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, undeliverable orders, or Return to Origin (RTO) rates, grew slightly from 6.2 per cent to 7.3 per cent. Prepaid orders accounted for 62 per cent of total orders and had significantly lower return rates (10 per cent) compared to Cash on Delivery (CoD) orders, which saw a 24 per cent return rate. Omnichannel technology saw increased adoption, with a 40 per cent rise in the number of stores implementing such solutions. Ship-from-store order volumes also grew by 50 per cent, highlighting the integration of physical and online retail channels. The analysis is based on nearly 900 million transactions processed on Unicommerce's platform in 2024, showcasing the platform's role in enabling e-commerce businesses to adapt to changing market dynamics and consumer demands. (ANI)
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