How Quick Commerce is Redefining Festive Shopping in Indian Homes

Flowers and feasts have long anchored the festive spirit in Indian households. Each festival brings with it the quintessential image of bustling homes, aromatic kitchens, and the youngest family members being sent on countless kirana store runs for last-minute essentials — from missing rakhis and genda phools to forgotten packets of sugar. The true motivation behind these errands was often not duty, but the thrill of pocketing the leftover change. However, this charming ritual is slowly fading. The traditional kirana store run — a defining slice of Indian festivity — is being replaced by the rapid, app-driven phenomenon of quick commerce. With just a few taps, everything from puja essentials to mithai hampers can now arrive at one’s doorstep in minutes, transforming how India shops and celebrates. The Rise of Quick Commerce While online grocery shopping is not new to India, the evolution of quick commerce (q-commerce) represents a seismic shift in consumer behaviour. Platforms like BigBasket (launched in 2011) and Nature’s Basket (established in 2015) laid the foundation for e-grocery shopping with next-day delivery models. However, it was Swiggy’s Instamart, introduced in 2020, that redefined convenience with its promise of instant gratification — groceries and essentials delivered in under 30 minutes. Unlike traditional e-commerce, which relies on large, distant warehouses and longer delivery windows, q-commerce operates through localised “dark stores” — compact fulfilment centres strategically positioned within neighbourhoods. These micro-warehouses stock a curated range of fast-moving goods, enabling ultra-fast delivery and catering to hyperlocal demands. A Rapidly Expanding Market The growth trajectory of India’s q-commerce sector has been nothing short of remarkable. According to Statista, India’s quick commerce market reached a valuation of $5.38 billion in 2025, with platforms like Blinkit (formerly Grofers, rebranded in 2021), Dunzo Daily, Zepto (2021), Flipkart Minutes (2024), and Amazon Now (2024) joining the race. A report by Chryseum, a financial services firm, highlights that the q-commerce market in India expanded by approximately 280% between 2022 and 2024, fuelled by the changing lifestyles of urban consumers, the proliferation of smartphones, and the culture of instant convenience. Festivals and the Q-Commerce Boom Festivals have always held immense cultural and economic significance in India. Traditionally, they have been periods of heightened consumer spending, bustling markets, and elaborate preparations. Today, these same periods are witnessing a digital renaissance, with q-commerce platforms serving as the new-age kirana stores. Devendra Meel, Chief Business Officer at Zepto, encapsulates this transformation perfectly: “Quick commerce has completely reshaped festive shopping. What was once a planned activity spread across multiple store visits has now become spontaneous, with families increasingly turning to Zepto for last-minute festive needs.” According to Meel, Zepto witnesses a steady year-on-year rise in festive orders, with mithai hampers, chocolates, dry fruits, fresh flowers, puja essentials, and festive décor emerging as top-selling categories. Beyond logistics, q-commerce companies are also investing heavily in festive engagement and cultural relevance. Many platforms update their user interfaces (UIs) to reflect the season’s spirit — think Diwali-themed animations, Rakhi gifting tabs, or Christmas-themed banners. Zepto, for instance, begins festive preparations months in advance, leveraging its AI-powered sales and insights platform, ATOM, to double festive SKUs and onboard a broader mix of D2C and legacy brands. “Our orders are packed in under 75 seconds and delivered within minutes,” Meel adds. “We’ve introduced festive UI, curated hampers, exclusive offers, and even hyperlocal assortments like Bathukamma flowers in Telangana or Dhunuchi in West Bengal to make the platform not just convenient but culturally connected.” How Legacy Brands Are Adapting The influence of q-commerce extends well beyond delivery platforms — it’s reshaping strategies for legacy FMCG brands too. Ghazala Ali, Head of E-commerce at Dabur India Ltd., notes that festivals now bring a dual surge: seasonal consumer demand and an uplift in traffic across online platforms. “While we see momentum picking up across our portfolio as traffic on q-commerce platforms rises organically, the most significant impact is on our foods and beverages and home care categories,” she explains. “For Dabur, festivals also coincide with season transitions, allowing us to activate our healthcare brands and drive awareness during this high-engagement period.” Interestingly, Ali points out that beauty and skincare segments — often linked with festive grooming and gifting — also benefit from this surge. Products like bleaches, detan kits, and facial packs see higher traction, underscoring how consumer behaviour evolves around festivals. “Quick commerce makes a significant contribution to our overall e-commerce business,” she adds. “Festivals and events are now planned across platforms, and we tailor our brand roles and campaigns based on emerging trends.” The D2C and Startup Opportunity While legacy FMCG giants are optimising their distribution and festive campaigns for q-commerce, new-age D2C brands are finding in it an indispensable growth lever. ZOFF Foods, a modern spice and ready-to-cook brand, is one such example. Akash Agrawalla, Co-Founder of ZOFF Foods, shares, “Quick commerce has definitely reshaped our festive sales pattern. While traditional retail remains important, a significant share of our festive orders now comes through online channels. Consumers increasingly turn to q-commerce platforms for last-minute purchases — be it cooking essentials, gifting options, or festive-ready ingredients.” For ZOFF Foods, festive periods see heightened demand for spice blends, dry fruits, and ready-to-cook (RTC) ranges — categories perfectly aligned with the instant delivery model. Agrawalla estimates that over 90% of ZOFF’s total sales now come through e-commerce and q-commerce combined. The Changing Face of Festive India The shift from kirana store runs to 10-minute deliveries is more than a convenience story; it’s a reflection of a broader cultural and behavioural change. What was once about community interaction and shared anticipation is now about efficiency and immediacy — values that align with India’s fast-paced urban life. In many ways, q-commerce has bridged the gap between tradition and technology. Families can still prepare elaborate feasts, decorate their homes, and perform rituals with the same fervour — only now, their essentials arrive via a delivery rider instead of the neighbourhood shopkeeper. The charm of a young cousin sprinting down the lane to fetch forgotten items may have faded, but in its place stands a uniformed delivery executive — equipped with a QR code, a bouquet of genda phools, and a box of mithai, all delivered in under 10 minutes. The nostalgia of change jingling in pockets has been replaced by the seamless swipe of a digital payment. As India continues to blend its deep-rooted traditions with digital innovation, the q-commerce revolution offers a fascinating glimpse into the country’s evolving festive psyche. It’s a story of how cultural continuity meets technological disruption — one instant delivery at a time.