For e-commerce platforms, the festive contest is consequently being shaped on both sides of the marketplace: consumer demand remains the prize, but seller economics, operational execution and the efficiency of discovery
India’s festive commerce battle is beginning well before the first major sale event, with e-commerce marketplaces moving beyond consumer-facing discounts to rework the economics and operating models for sellers. Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra are introducing measures spanning marketplace fees, fulfilment discipline, advertising support and creator-led discovery as brands and sellers prepare for Festive 2026.
For sellers, the changes point to three distinct levers: lowering the cost of getting products discovered, tightening execution once an order is placed, and creating additional routes through which consumers can find and purchase products.
Amazon is lowering the entry barrier for sellers with 0% referral fees on products priced below ₹1,000 across more than 1,800 categories. The move directly affects the marketplace cost associated with selling lower-priced products and comes as sellers prepare to compete for visibility across a wider range of festive purchases. At the same time, Amazon’s closing fees are set to increase from September 7, adding another layer to seller-side cost considerations.
Flipkart, meanwhile, is putting greater financial weight on fulfilment discipline. Sellers missing the Dispatch By Date can incur a ₹30 per-shipment charge, while a cancellation carries a ₹60 charge. Where a delayed shipment is followed by cancellation, the charge rises to ₹90. The structure links seller economics more closely to execution during a period when delivery timelines become particularly critical to marketplace performance.
Alongside this, Flipkart’s new Saarthi programme is bringing AI-led campaign optimisation and zero-cost agency advertising support for sellers. The programme adds an advertising and campaign-management layer to the marketplace’s broader seller proposition, giving sellers additional support in optimising their marketplace campaigns as festive competition intensifies.
Myntra is approaching the same period through discovery, with creators becoming a more integrated part of its marketplace ecosystem. Creator-led content contributes around 10% of the platform’s revenue, while the Flipkart and Myntra Meta affiliate integration allows creators to tag marketplace products directly within content.
The integration creates a more direct path between content and commerce: creators can monetise product-led content while brands and sellers gain another route to put marketplace products in front of consumers and facilitate product discovery within the content itself.
Taken together, the initiatives show how marketplace preparation for the festive season is increasingly extending beyond sale pricing. Amazon is addressing seller-side marketplace costs for products below ₹1,000; Flipkart is combining stricter fulfilment-linked charges with AI-led advertising assistance; and Myntra is strengthening creator-led commerce as a discovery mechanism.
The backdrop is a rapidly expanding festive online-shopping opportunity. Indians spent roughly ₹1.2 lakh crore online during the 2025 festive season, making the period a significant sales window for marketplaces and their seller ecosystems. With the 2026 season approaching, the platforms are therefore entering the cycle with changes aimed not just at attracting shoppers, but at determining how efficiently sellers can participate in the marketplace.
For e-commerce platforms, the festive contest is consequently being shaped on both sides of the marketplace: consumer demand remains the prize, but seller economics, operational execution and the efficiency of discovery are increasingly becoming part of the competitive equation.
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First Published on September 9, 2026, 08:31:01 IST
