1 in 3 online buyers below 25, vernacular language use up 162%: Meesho

One in three online buyers in India are aged below 25 while use of vernacular languages in online shopping has increased by 162 per cent, Meesho’s Smart Shopper Report has revealed. Results of the report are based on shopping patterns on the platform in the first half of the year 2024, which takes into account 80 per cent of the nation’s online shoppers.

VERNACULAR LANGUAGES RULE

The report shows use of vernacular languages in online shopping has increased by 162 per cent, highlighting a rising inclination towards regional languages in communication while shopping online in India. The growth in voice search is around 40 per cent.

Meesho’s average annual transaction figure is around 15 crore and 80 per cent of the customer base that buys from the platform belongs to Tier-2 cities and beyond, including cities as diverse as Ambur, Bhilai, Imphal, Jalandhar, Jhunjhunu, Nellore, Rourkela and Sangli. On the other hand, Tier-4+ cities form the customer base that repeats ordering online most often.

NORTHEAST NUMBERS RISING

The number of buyers from the Northeastern states are on the rise, the Meesho report said. Customers in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim are increasingly buying from the platform, impacted by influencers.

HOME APPLIANCES SELL BIG

Among shopping categories, Meesho saw nearly 10 per cent earnings home and kitchen from Home & Kitchen, which reflects an overall 50 per cent increase year on year. As far as electronic appliances are concerned, Tier-2+ cities bought more in this category than Tier-I cities.

The fastest growing categories on Meesho were books, furnishings, home improvement, pet supplies and stationary, besides personal grooming and self-care products. Power banks, keyboards, bluetooth headphones, earphones and speakers were among other big sellers.

Overall, the Meesho app was downloaded more than 10 lakh times a day on an average and the company saw 3 lakh new sellers in 2024, which is twice the number compared to the year before.