Love Can’t Wait
An analysis of over 15 million order items processed by Unicommerce’s flagship platform Uniware across quick commerce platforms, marketplaces, and brand websites between February 1 and 10, 2026, highlights how impulse buying and instant deliveries are shaping this Valentine’s Day sales period. While overall e-commerce volumes grew by about 17% compared to the same period (February 1 to 10) in 2025, order volumes on quick commerce platforms surged 48% year-on-year. D2C brand websites saw a ~16% rise in order volumes and marketplaces recorded roughly 14% growth.
Gifting expands beyond flowers and chocolates
Consumers moved beyond traditional gifting categories, signalling that “anything can be a gift.” Popular choices included foods such as gourmet snacks, artisanal teas, and chocolates, beauty and personal care items like perfumes, skincare kits, and makeup combos, and gifting products like couple coffee mugs and cushions. Practical, lifestyle, and wellness products emerged as new, thoughtful gifting options.
Nationwide Crush: Valentine’s E-Commerce Grows Across Tiers
The Valentine’s sale momentum was visible across geographies, with Tier 1 cities and metros growing ~19%, Tier 2 cities witnessing ~14% growth, and Tier 3 cities matching metros with ~18% growth, indicating how both urban and emerging markets are embracing e-commerce for occasion-led purchases.
Love needs a nudge sometimes: Smart reminders sealed the deal
Personalised recommendations and timely reminders helped drive last-minute purchases. Data from Unicommerce’s marketing automation platform, Convertway, shows that during the Valentine’s season, brands managed over 1.2 million customer interactions via SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, and its AI voice agent, Catalyst. These targeted messages converted strong purchase intent into more than 18,000 orders worth around ₹35 million.
These trends show that modern e-commerce works fast and in real time – with tools like AI messages, smarter warehouses, and better delivery planning, companies are able to turn last-minute shopping into orders that arrive on time.