- Popular picks: Skincare gift combos, makeup face palettes, de-tan kits, scent hampers, healthy chocolate combos, jewelry products (silver bands & rings, and gold pendants), and books
- Tier II cities show more love for online gifting, with volumes higher by 37% compared to last year
- Overall, V-Day sales see a 24% GMV growth over last year
MUMBAI: India’s gifting habits are evolving rapidly, with online platforms playing a central role in festive and occasion-based shopping. In the first 11 days of February 2025 alone, Unicommerce’s Uniware platform processed over 10 million gifting order items, reflecting a larger shift toward digital-first gifting. Driven by convenience and personalization, this transformation is reshaping consumer behavior, with younger cohorts of buyers leading the move from traditional in-person gifting to tech-enabled G-Commerce (Gift-commerce, tech-assisted gifting) as a mainstream segment of e-commerce.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, this trend is becoming increasingly evident, with a surge in demand for personal gifts. The popular categories this Valentine’s Day sales period are beauty and makeup, healthy eatables, fitness products, and books, among others. Brands are also offering increased options online, with a choice of special packaging or gift wrapping designed for the occasion. This is why online gifting portals are becoming a go-to destination for personal gifting.
E-commerce enablement SaaS platform Unicommerce, trusted by over 7,000 leading brands, has analyzed gifting trends based on orders processed through its flagship platform, Uniware. Its analysis based on the orders processed through its platform, shows what and how India is buying ahead of Valentine’s Day ‘25.
- Most shopped products included skincare gift combos, de-tan kits, makeup face palettes, healthy chocolate combos, scent hampers, books and bookmarks, and jewelry products like silver bands, rings, and gold pendants.
- Tier-II cities drove order volume growth during the nine days with over 37% higher volumes as compared to the same period in 2024.
- There is overall a 24% YoY GMV growth, with a higher value growth seen on brand websites than on marketplaces.
- Marketplaces recorded higher volumes across categories, including makeup and jewelry. Brand websites witnessed higher demand for apparel and accessories like couple wear combos, polo t-shirts, and travel accessories, including sling bags and wallets.
- Rising consumer inclination is seen toward personalized and custom-curated offerings. Brands selling perishables like flowers are offering multiple customization options. Personalization for apparel and accessories was another popular choice with users.
While online gifting for Valentine’s Day begins in early February, there are multiple gifting occasions throughout the year in India, with Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, Eid, Christmas, and wedding season witnessing a surge in the purchase of gift items. Expected to reach USD 92.3 bn by 2030, the Indian gifting market has evolved rapidly with the entry of new-age D2C brands and e-commerce platforms, including names like IGP.com, GIVA, and Phool.co, Nathabi,t, and Zouk along with others.
Tarun Joshi, Founder & CEO of IGP.com said, “Valentine’s remains one of the biggest occasions for gifting in India, and flowers continue to dominate as the preferred choice. As a leading gifting brand in cakes, flowers, and personalized gifts and with technology at the heart of our business, we provide a consistent shopping experience, offering a diverse selection of personalized gifts across categories and on multiple platforms, supporting both discovery and fulfillment.”
Aditya Labroo, Chief Operating Officer, GIVA said, “The online gifting sector in India is playing an important role in driving consumer demand. With technology being the foundational pillar of our omnichannel operations, we are committed to offering seamless shopping experiences to our customers browsing across physical and digital touchpoints.”
Over the last two years (CY 2023 & 2024), Unicommerce recorded over 40 mn order items processed through the Uniware platform by more than 800 gift-commerce sellers, including online-first D2C brands, omnichannel retailers as well as small online sellers.
