Karwa Chauth week saw 40% jump in D2C sales: GoKwik report

Mumbai: Karwa Chauth, historically a regional ritual in North India, has now spread to cities including Bengaluru, Chennai, and Coimbatore, triggering a 40% jump in D2C sales during the week.

According to GoKwik, D2C sales in the first week of October saw GMV increase by 47% compared to the same period last year. In addition, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu entered the top five states for Karwa Chauth-led eCommerce sales, marking a cultural shift.

“Bollywood made Karwa Chauth aspirational; Instagram made it universal. What we are seeing now is the festival’s digital democratization — where love, aesthetics, and gifting culture have blurred regional lines. From Bengaluru to Coimbatore, consumers are embracing festive shopping with equal enthusiasm,” said Chirag Taneja, co-founder and CEO, Gokwik.

The festival is estimated to have generated business worth Rs 28,000 crore across India, with Delhi contributing around Rs 8,000 crore, according to the trade body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

Traditional festive products led the surge, with sarees becoming the highest-selling category, followed by dupattas and bangles. Maharashtra continued to dominate overall volumes, while Karnataka was as the third-largest market for premium sarees. Tamil Nadu ranked fifth in both sarees and dupattas. Karnataka also placed fourth in bangles, indicating that the festival’s symbols have found resonance even in non-traditional markets.

The pan-India expansion of Karwa Chauth has been propelled by three powerful cultural engines — Bollywood’s romantic storytelling, Instagram’s influencer-driven celebration of rituals, and the growing mainstreaming of Hindu cultural aesthetics among millennials and Gen Z. Together, they have transformed the festival into both a social media moment and a commerce catalyst.

The week also showcased unique ritual-specific demand, with sindoor, Karwa Chauth chunri, kalash, latkan, and karwa jal thali witnessing record online sales.

The surge follows an upbeat Navratri season, indicating sustained festive momentum as India heads into Diwali. For D2C brands, this marks a watershed moment — one where culture, commerce, and content now intersect across the map. Brands leveraging regional insights and cultural cues stand to gain as festivals continue to morph from tradition into trend.

GoKwik currently works with over 12,000 brands and serves over 165 million shoppers across beauty, fashion, and health categories. Its partner brands include Mamaearth, Neemans, Man Matters, and Shoppers Stop.