Poll fervour hits e-commerce platforms: Parties’ merchandise sizzles online

New Delhi: Political fervour has permeated even the realm of e-commerce in India, with merchandise related to various political parties becoming hot commodities.

From BJP’s lotus on dream catchers to AAP’s logo on vintage maritime clocks and Congress’ signature dupattas, these online platforms offer a plethora of election-themed products.

Simply enter the name of the desired political party into the search bar of an e-commerce website, and a diverse array of merchandise ranging from flags to pendants to pens will populate the page.

This trend initially emerged during the 2019 polls when e-commerce platforms became go-to destinations for campaign merchandise and accessories, a representative from an e-commerce platform said.

“When everything is sold online, why not this and it is the sellers who put it on our platforms and the e-commerce websites have to just check it follows the protocol,” she said.

Notably, some political parties themselves have actively participated in selling such merchandise on their respective websites.

The NaMo merchandise website, for instance, boasts an extensive range of products including T-shirts, mugs, notebooks, badges, wristbands, keychains, stickers, magnets, caps, and pens adorned with slogans such as ‘Modi ka parivar,’ ‘Phir ek baar, Modi sarkar,’ ‘Modi ki guarantee’, and ‘Modi hai toh mumkin hai’.

Despite the news agency’s attempts to seek a response from Amazon India and Flipkart on this trend, responses from both platforms were not received.

However, one of the suppliers of these merchandise to e-commerce platforms revealed that Lok Sabha elections witnessed a surge in online sales of such items.

“Previously, our supplies were directed to physical shops, but with the shift towards online retail, it only made sense to adapt,” the supplier commented.

Furthermore, the supplier noted that merchandise associated with the BJP and Congress remains among the highest-selling items, although the full impact of election

fervour is yet to be realised, as this reflects only the preliminary trend.