Bumper festive season for e-comm firms; India's rich loosen purse strings

Amazon recently said its month-long sales event had seen the biggest-ever shopping activity for its sellers and brand partners, bringing services to millions of customers

The month-long festive season, which kicked in with Navratri on October 7 and concluded with Bhai Dooj on Saturday, has reinforced the widening gap between premium and less affluent consumers in India after the pandemic set in.

The rich loosened their purse strings, lapping up everything big from cars, mobile phones, and televisions to washing machines and refrigerators.

The less affluent remained elusive. Amid soaring inflation, price hikes in various product categories, and a stretched household budget, these buyers continue to be conservative.

From Godrej Appliances and Vijay Sales to Hyundai Motor India, the trend of high-end, bigger-capacity models finding