Bengaluru, Sep 23 (IANS): E-commerce major Flipkart on Friday said that it witnessed highest-ever number of concurrent users with 1.6 million users per second as it kicked off the ninth edition of its 'Big Billion Days 2022' festive sales, driven by shoppers from tier 2 and smaller cities.

The number of Flipkart Plus customers using Early Access during the sale also saw a healthy growth as compared to last year's event, according to the company.

Categories like laptops, smartwatches and true wireless wearables witnessed the highest demand, while makeup and fragrance category also saw high traction.

There has been a significant rise in customers purchasing groceries on Flipkart, said the company.

"This year's event is special for many reasons, like the growing strength of our seller and partner ecosystem and the innovations that have enabled access to greater inclusivity and affordability for consumers," said Manjari Singhal, Senior Director – Customer, Growth, and Events, Flipkart said, "

Categories such as mobiles, large appliances, fashion, furniture and home appliances witnessed the greatest interest and demand among buyers.

Shopsy, the affordable e-commerce platform by Flipkart for Bharat, drew a majority of customers from tier 2 cities and beyond.

The number of kiranas partnering with Flipkart for the festive sales deliveries grew from 27,000 in 2019 to 2 lakh in 2022.

The sales in the first festive week is likely to touch $5.9 billion this year.

Bengaluru-based Redseer has predicted $11.8 billion worth gross merchandise value (GMV) during the entire festive month.