Diwali is one of the most popular festivals in India, so much so that 82% of Internet users shop during Diwali, followed by 51% who shop during the New Year and 45% shop during Dussehra and Durga Pooja, as per Meta’s festive season study. “All kinds of consumers today shop online. Categories like jewellery with brands like Tanishq, Caratlane and Mia, among other categories including electronics, and home appliances stand-out for typical purchases,” Arun Srinivas, director and head – Ads Business (India) at Meta, told BrandWagon Online.
Electronics and fashion are top categories this year, with over half of consumers intending to shop these categories in the festive season sales, the report stated. One of the standout trends from the study indicates that e-commerce is on the rise and quick commerce is expanding into new categories with one in four electronics purchasers and one in three personal care buyers purchase via quick commerce. The insights also reveal that over half of this year’s festive season, shoppers expect to shop more through e-commerce platforms. “The study shows that festive shopping trends in India are undergoing a dramatic shift with AI, the adoption of quick-commerce, the rise of micro-influencers, and the prevalence of regional language content playing a leading role in influencing festive purchases. We see strong adoption of all our key products this festive season on our platforms – from AI-powered ad formats to business messaging and Reels,” Srinivas explained, adding that WhatsApp plays a critical role when consumers have questions. The platform helps in lead generation besides handling business queries and providing auto resolution.
The study also indicates that micro-influencers with 10,000 to 1,00,000 followers are just as influential in driving festive purchases as macro-influencers with 1,00,000 to one million followers. Among the shoppers who rely on influencers to discover brands, deals, and sales events during the festive season, 40% of consumers are influenced by micro-influencers, 39% by macro-influencers, and 23% by nano-influencers, revealed the study. Additionally, regional language ads drive engagement during festive sales as over three in four consumers say it’s important for them to see advertising in their local language during festive shopping. According to Srinivas, influencers will continue to complimentary role to celebrities in terms of brand promotions.
It further states that AI-powered discovery is propelling the discovery of brands, deals and sales during the festive period. The study revealed that 80% festive shoppers discover deals and products on Meta. Furthermore, an impressive 85% of consumers are aware of at least one sales event through Meta.