Amazon Great Indian Festival 2026 sees surge in home upgrades, demand grows beyond metros

Home upgrades have emerged as one of the biggest shopping trends during the ongoing Amazon Great Indian Festival 2026, with shopping volumes growing more than threefold as consumers invest in kitchen appliances, smart home products, entertainment devices and large household appliances ahead of Diwali.According to Amazon India, growth is increasingly being driven by smaller cities, with non-metro markets accounting for more than 60% of shopping volumes and expanding at twice the rate of metro cities. Cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Guwahati, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Indore and Kochi are leading demand, as customers increasingly explore new product categories and upgrade to premium appliances.Commenting on the trend, Aman Deep Lohan, Director, Home, Kitchen and Outdoors at Amazon India, said consumers are showing growing confidence in upgrading their homes with technology-focused products, while affordability options such as no-cost EMI, exchange offers and instant bank discounts are helping shoppers make larger purchases.According to the company, AI-powered cooking appliances, robotic vacuum cleaners, air purifiers and connected lighting products are among the key categories witnessing increased demand during the festive sale.Amazon also highlighted the role of its AI shopping assistant Rufus, which allows customers to search for products using natural language queries in multiple Indian languages, including Hinglish.Air fryers, refrigerators and dishwashers see strong growthThe company said the kitchen appliances category is currently growing at 3.4 times its average daily pace, with smart and small appliances recording growth of 4.5 times. Air fryers have emerged among the fastest-growing products, operating at 7.5 times their average-day sales pace, while ovens are growing at 5.2 times. Brands such as Philips and SharkNinja have reported growth of more than seven times compared with regular sales periods. Premium refrigerators are also witnessing strong traction. Refrigerators with capacities above 300 litres are selling at 34 times their average-day pace, led by frost-free and side-by-side models from Samsung, LG, Haier and Bosch. Amazon said the Samsung 653-litre AI-enabled side-by-side refrigerator is operating at 33 times its average-day pace.Other lifestyle-oriented kitchen categories are gaining momentum as well, with dishwashers growing sevenfold and chimneys sixfold compared with normal sales levels.Smart TVs, robotic cleaners and connected lighting gain popularityThe living room category is also seeing significant upgrades as consumers opt for larger screens and connected devices. According to Amazon, home entertainment products, including smart TVs and speakers, are running at 37 times their average-day sales pace, with smart TVs accounting for nearly 65% of the category's growth.Brands including Samsung, Xiaomi and TCL have collectively grown 56 times compared with average sales levels, while Indian brand Lumio recorded a 42-fold increase. Robotic vacuum cleaners are another fast-growing category, with sales running at 9.2 times normal levels. Brands such as Ecovacs and Dreame are among the key beneficiaries of this trend. Demand for air purifiers has increased 5.2 times, while smart fans have grown fourfold. Indian smart fan maker Atomberg has reported a fivefold increase in sales during the festive period. Connected lighting products from brands including Philips and Wipro are also seeing strong demand as consumers prepare their homes for Diwali celebrations.Premium appliances and financing options fuel upgradesAmazon said customers are increasingly upgrading to premium and energy-efficient appliances rather than simply replacing existing products. Home appliance sales have grown 25 times during the early stages of the festival sale. Washer-dryers are growing at 18 times their average pace, while premium front-load washing machines continue to gain popularity. LG emerged as the best-selling washing machine brand, recording 17 times its regular-day sales.Air conditioners with four-star and five-star energy ratings are also witnessing strong adoption, growing 15 times faster than normal sales levels. Brands such as Panasonic, Hitachi and Daikin are among the leading sellers in the category. The company said financing options, including exchange discounts, instant bank offers and no-cost EMI plans starting at ₹99 per day, are helping drive the premiumisation trend.AI tools helping customers discover productsAmazon said more than six million customers have used its Deal Alerts feature, which allows shoppers to track prices and receive notifications when products reach preferred price points. The company has also expanded AI-powered shopping tools, including Rufus, Lens AI, AI Review Highlights, Quick View, Buying Guides and personalised product recommendations, to simplify product discovery and comparison.Festival offers continue through DiwaliThe Amazon Great Indian Festival 2026 sale will continue throughout the festive season, with the company offering discounts of up to 50% on more than one lakh products and its lowest prices of the year on over two lakh products across categories including Home, Kitchen, Toys and Outdoors. Customers can also avail a 10% instant discount on purchases made using Axis Bank and ICICI Bank credit cards and EMI transactions, along with additional benefits for Prime members and Amazon Pay users.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.