Nearly 80% of online orders from Tier II and beyond cities: Meesho report

More than 80% of Indian online shoppers reside in Tier II and beyond cities, said affordable ecommerce player Meesho in its Smart Shopper Report. 

“Tier II+ cities significantly outpaced Tier I cities in orders for electronic accessories, with more than double the number of purchases,” stated the report. Nearly 40% of all orders from northeastern space were driven by influencer content efforts, an area that has been traditionally difficult for brands and ecommerce to penetrate.

Among the top categories, the home and kitchen segments witnessed 50% year-on-year (YoY) growth, with approximately 10% of spending dedicated to this category. The home improvement category in terms of assortment witnessed 112% YoY growth. 

There was a surge in orders for products including Bluetooth headphones and earphones, power banks, smart speakers, screen magnifiers, and keyboards. The rise and popularity of influencer channels fuelled the demand for trending and viral products on the platform. It also saw growing traction for content creation with a surge in products like selfie sticks, ring lights, microphones, and tripods. 

Among the top categories, beauty and personal care products, especially for men’s grooming, were a huge hit. Fashion and health and fitness also turned out to be highly attractive categories. 

Founded in 2015, Meesho last raised $275 million in a funding round via primary and secondary share sale in May. According to media reports, the fundraise was part of a bigger $500 million to $600 million round, which could value the company at $3.9 billion.