India's major value-commerce platforms are moving beyond the simple promise of cheap products, with companies like Flipkart's Shopsy, Amazon Bazaar, and Snapdeal experimenting with new engagement strategies. According to reports from Mint, Shopsy, launched in 2021, has rebuilt its app around artificial intelligence-powered personalization, video-led discovery, and gamification, turning shopping into a more interactive experience for Gen Z and the country's next 100 million shoppers. This has shifted Shopsy from an offers-led destination towards an engagement-led platform, with games, rewards, and video built into the shopping journey.
Amazon Bazaar is taking a different approach by integrating value commerce deeper into its main app. As reported by Mint, after starting as a separate destination for low-priced products, Amazon has brought value commerce into its main app, with sellers no longer needing separate listings for Bazaar. Qualifying products can receive a Bazaar badge and appear in regular Amazon search and in the dedicated Bazaar store. Sameer Lalwani, head of Amazon Bazaar, told Mint that selection has grown threefold over the past year, while customers and orders have grown fivefold. Customers from tier-II and tier-III cities have grown eightfold, with Amazon retaining the overall ₹500 ceiling for Bazaar while introducing tighter subcategory-level price caps.
The value opportunity itself is expanding rapidly, with market research firm Kearney estimating that India's value lifestyle e-commerce market will grow to $40 billion by 2030 from $4 billion in 2019. According to Mint, e-commerce is expected to be the fastest-growing channel in the segment, with a 26% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2019 and 2026**, compared with 12% for modern trade and 5% for general trade. However, the market remains overwhelmingly offline, with e-commerce's share of value lifestyle retail expected to rise from just 4% in 2019 to 13% by 2026 and 19% by 2030.
Kunal Bahl-founded Snapdeal is leaning heavily into fashion and apparel within the value-commerce segment as it prepares for a ₹300-crore fresh issue initial public offering (IPO). As reported by Mint, Shopsy is also focusing on localization, with more than 16 million products across 1,300-plus categories, sourced directly from sellers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), using regional storefronts, AI-powered discovery, and a zero-commission model. While there are no specific market-share estimates for value e-commerce, Meesho is widely considered the segment leader, with its revenue jumping 48% year-on-year to ₹3,713 crore in the June quarter while losses narrowed to ₹133 crore.
According to Aakash Agrawal, associate director at Anand Rathi Investment Banking, the next phase of online value retail won't be a pure race to the bottom on price but about mixing affordability with real engagement, shopping frequency, and standout customer experiences. As reported by Mint, the commercial test will be whether greater engagement translates into better retention and lower customer acquisition costs rather than simply more time spent on an app. Platforms are increasingly using creators, short-form content, and gaming to make discovery more interactive, with tier-II-plus cities accounting for 65% of new shopper growth and Gen Z making up almost half of India's online shopper base.
