Assiduus Global, a leading cross-border e-commerce accelerator, reported that beauty and personal care products recorded 44% growth in marketplace sales this festive season. This makes Beauty and Personal Care one of the standout categories on the platform, reflecting how festive shopping is becoming more than just big-ticket electronics. Consumers are steadily increasing their spend on everyday products that tie into personal wellbeing.
That shift is also visible in where the demand is coming from. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka together accounted for around 48-52% of beauty and personal care sales each month. In health and personal care, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka contributed about 50-52%. The consistency of these shares shows that growth is anchored in a handful of high-consumption states, but with different strengths. Southern states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have become strongholds for beauty, while Uttar Pradesh’s role in health and personal care signals how wellness categories are taking root in the north’s large population centres.
To capture this demand, brands on Assiduus’ platform offered average festive discounts in the range of 15-20%. These discounts proved to be powerful triggers, but the company noted a decline of nearly 25% in sales once they were removed. Somdutta Singh, Founder & CEO, Assiduus Global, said, “The festive economy shows how price sensitivity still defines much of Indian e-commerce. Consumers respond quickly to discounts, but their interest drops off just as fast when deals disappear. This underlines the importance of building lasting engagement beyond festive offers.”
The rising cost of visibility adds another layer to this competitive environment. In health and personal care, ad-driven revenue grew 21.4% year on year during Prime Day, supported by sharper targeting and stronger placements. Click-through rates doubled from 0.24% to 0.48%, a sign that brands are investing more to hold shopper attention even as product lifecycles shorten and new entrants keep crowding the space. Conversion rates rose 26.6% with early adoption of Amazon’s beta ad formats and optimization strategies, while efficiency gains were evident with ACOS dropping 47% and return on ad spend climbing 1.9x. Together, these shifts highlight how intense the contest for marketplace real estate has become, where visibility often decides whether a brand sustains growth or slips behind.
Somdutta added, “What stands out this festive season is not just the surge in categories like beauty and health, but the way Indian shoppers are engaging with online platforms. Consumers are planning earlier, timing purchases around deal windows, and showing stronger intent in wellness and personal care. The enthusiasm from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities is now matching that of metros, and this widening base is shaping the future of e-commerce in India.”
This intensity was visible even before the peak festive days, as shoppers began filling baskets earlier and brands pulled forward their campaigns. The extended build-up meant visibility had to be sustained across a longer window, not just during flagship sales, and this shift mirrors the broader beauty and personal care market, which remains on a strong growth trajectory.
Nykaa’s Q3 FY25 results, with a 32% year-on-year rise in BPC GMV, reinforce the strength of the segment. Together with Assiduus Global’s data, these signals show that beauty and personal care is not just a festive spike but a category on a longer-term upward curve.
