Mother’s Day shopping this year offered a glimpse into how India’s smaller cities are reshaping online consumer trends. From ethnic wear to handbags and watches, shoppers in non-metro regions drove a sharp rise in demand for affordable fashion and lifestyle products, signalling the growing influence of aspirational consumers beyond metropolitan markets.

A report by Snapdeal showed that value-conscious buyers from emerging cities increasingly turned to trend-led purchases during the Mother’s Day shopping period, highlighting the rapid expansion of ecommerce adoption across India.

Mother’s Day shopping trends

As per the report, more than 80% of orders across women-focused categories between 1–10 May 2026 came from non-metro cities.

Among the key contributors were Lucknow, Jaipur, Kanpur, Ludhiana, Indore, Surat, Bhopal and Dehradun.

The report also noted that aspirational shoppers across these emerging markets are increasingly driving demand for trendy fashion and lifestyle products, reflecting the broader consumption-led momentum outlined in the Economic Survey 2025–26.

Affordable fashion sees strong demand

Women’s ethnic wear, handbags, fashion jewellery, watches and footwear emerged as some of the most purchased categories during the period.

The report found that more than 80% of purchases across these segments were made at price points below ₹499, underlining the growing popularity of value-fashion shopping among Indian consumers.

It added that shoppers are increasingly seeking stylish and trendy products while remaining mindful of affordability, particularly during occasion-based shopping events.

On Mother’s Day, celebrated on 10 May 2026, four out of the top five searched keywords on Snapdeal were linked to women-focused categories, including women’s tops, kurta sets, sarees and watches.

The trend reflected strong consumer interest in affordable fashion and everyday lifestyle products.

Emerging centres are becoming increasingly active

The report also pointed to a broader shift towards intentional and value-conscious spending patterns, especially in smaller cities where ecommerce penetration continues to deepen.

Achint Setia, CEO of Snapdeal, said, “The Mother’s Day trends reflect how consumers across emerging centres are becoming increasingly active during new shopping occasions. The next phase of India’s consumption growth is increasingly being driven by aspirational shoppers in emerging markets, where ecommerce is enabling wider access to trend-led categories.”

The findings further highlighted the growing role of smaller cities in driving India’s ecommerce growth, particularly in fashion and lifestyle categories, where affordability and trend-led shopping continue to shape consumer choices.

Published on: May 14, 2026 7:21 PM IST