#FlipTrends2016, the annual in-depth critique by Flipkart, India’s largest online marketplace, on India’s online shopping trends, threw up interesting statistics on this year’s smartphone and smart wearables sales. Analyzing online shopping of over 100 million customers across India, #FlipTrends2016 records data collected from online shoppers over 2016 across all Flipkart-owned platforms.
The Scenario in 2016
With the Digital India mission moving from strength to strength, the smartphones category in India continues to be one of the most hotly contested arenas in online shopping. With over 50% of sales in the category coming from Tier 2 & 3 cities, this is an indication of the fact that higher volumes of smartphone sales is enabling more Indians to come online to shop for their favourite products. Combined with these local market dynamics, brands are increasingly seeking out the right strategic partnerships to brand, market and sell their products.
Commenting on the #FlipTrends2016 insights, Ajay Yadav, Head – Mobiles, Flipkart said
The popularity of smartphones in India, as clearly indicated by #FlipTrends, highlight the shift consumers are making towards 4G enabled smartphones. Today consumers are opting for brands and models that could not just offer them the features, but were smart on the pocket as well.
More of our customers are choosing Flipkart as their preferred platform of choice when it comes to shopping for mobiles. Industry-first innovations such as No Cost EMI and Easy Product Exchange, along with exclusive brand partnerships and flash sales, have helped us to maintain the market leadership in this segment. We will continue to bring more innovation, better choices, and a richer experience to keep the excitement alive amongst our audiences.
Top 7 Mobile #FlipTrends in 2016
- Affordable 4G smartphones from national and international brands, with new-age features and exciting price ranges, were a hit with customers in 2016
- Redmi 3S Prime, Redmi Note 3, Moto E 3 Power, and Lenovo K5 and Samsung J5 were the top 5 best sellers of the year
- Lenovo, MI, Samsung, Motorola, and LeEco remained the most favourite brands
- Delhi NCR led mobile phone sales amongst the top metros, followed closely by Bengaluru. Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad
- Tier 2 India rising : Guwahati and Jorhat in North East India were first time entrants to the top gainers list; amongst other Tier 2 cities Mysore, Salem, and Tirupur from South India led sales in the smartphones category
- South India emerged yet again as the most tech-savvy region, accounting for over 35% sales, while North stood at 28%, West at 22%, and East India at 15%
- The IOT category of smart bands and smart watches saw tremendous growth, growing over 500% from 2015. Top sellers in this category were Apple, Motorola, and Samsung