Festive shopping 2025: Online spends to surge 115%; gourmet meals, groceries, fashion to lead buying

Urban households in India are set to embrace e-commerce like by no means earlier than this festive season, with a brand new LocalCircles report predicting a pointy rise in on-line shopping. The findings counsel that latest GST fee adjustments have helped increase client confidence simply forward of the spending rush.The examine, ‘How Urban Indian Households Will Spend During Festive Season 2025’, expects a 115% enhance in households that plan to majorly store on-line.Still, conventional markets stay essential. According to the survey, 37% of city households anticipate to spend Rs 20,000 or extra in the course of the season, a steep climb from 26% final yr. Overall festive spending in 2025 is projected at Rs 2.19 lakh crore.“With the government announcing GST reforms leading to reduction in prices of white goods and consumer electronics like air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and televisions just ahead of the festive season, an increasing number of urban Indian households are likely to take to e-commerce and online platforms as their preferred channel for festival spending,” the report was cited by PTI.Respondents highlighted comfort, product selection, higher costs, and hassle-free returns and refunds as the most important attracts for shopping on-line.The survey collected over 200,000 responses from greater than 44,000 households throughout 319 city districts. It discovered that bodily shops nonetheless deal with most gross sales, however on-line channels are increasing the quickest.“When comparing the survey results this year with those in 2024, there is considerable shift in how household consumers are likely to execute their festive shopping. For instance, as against 70% who indicated plans to visit the mall, retail stores and local markets for festive shopping in 2024, the new survey shows that 56% of those surveyed are planning to do so while 28% are planning to shop online,” it stated.In 2024, solely 13% had deliberate to store on-line, underlining the dimensions of the shift—greater than 115% development in digital-first consumers.Among these going surfing this yr, 44% are anticipated to spend on smartphones and electronics, whereas an identical share will put cash into dwelling renovation. About 29% are eyeing white items and home equipment, 60% plan to purchase gourmet meals, groceries, and festive necessities, and practically half will store for fashion and sweetness.LocalCircles founder Sachin Taparia informed PTI, “The consumer insights for 2025 point to it being a unique festive season.”He added, “With the consumer set to get more value on white goods, consumer electronics as well as foods and groceries due to lower GST rates, households spending online are looking for platforms that offer value prices also reflecting new and lower GST rate, ease of returns and exchange as well as trust and consumer protection.”