14x sales spikes, 30% adex hike: Quick commerce takes center stage this festive season
From artisan-crafted products to double-digit ad spend hikes, India’s instant delivery apps are rewriting the rules of festive shopping and advertising.
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India’s festive season has always been a battleground for brands and retailers. But in 2025, the war for consumer attention is being fought at breakneck speed- literally.
Read more: GST 2.0 likely to lift festive cheer: India’s AdEx set to top Rs 55,000 cr in FY26, up 18–20% YoY
Quick commerce platforms, once seen as convenience-driven grocery apps, are now commanding the spotlight as full-fledged retail media ecosystems, with advertising and commerce converging in real time.
Industry insiders estimate that festive campaigns will drive 30–40% of quick commerce AdEx in FY26, up sharply from 25–30% last year. With ad rates up by as much as 50% in metro markets and festive campaigns set to account for Rs 12,000–15,000 crore of incremental ad spends, platforms and brands alike are treating q-comm as the frontline for festive marketing.
Bets on hyperlocal culture and mega sales
Zepto, one of the fastest-growing players in the space, is leaning on both scale and sentiment. Devendra Meel, Chief Business Officer at Zepto, said the platform’s “Fastest Sale Ever” launched on September 11th is already bigger than last year’s edition. Beyond discounts, Zepto is tapping into India’s cultural fabric- partnering with 3,500+ artisans across states to deliver locally made products including festive décor.
The numbers tell the story:
70,000+ sweets sold in 24 hours during Ganpati; and sales spikes versus last year: decorative lights (14.15x), chunri (13.61x), betel nut (6.82x), gulab jamun (6.65x), rangoli stencils (3.79x)
“Festivals are no longer just about planned shopping- they’re about last-minute joy, made possible by lightning-fast delivery,” Meel said.
For bigbasket, the strategy this year is about breadth and depth.
From exclusive brand tie-ups in FMCG, electronics, and gifting to curated festive bundles and gamified promotions, the platform is positioning itself as a one-stop festive destination.
Seshu Kumar Tirumala, Chief Buying and Merchandising Officer, revealed that festive ad spends have gone up by double digits compared to last year, with a focus on OTT, influencer collaborations, and performance-led media.
“Festive campaigns will contribute close to 30% of our AdEx in FY26, up from 25% last year. The surge comes from new categories like electronics accessories and home décor, and aggressive participation from D2C brands,” he added.
For its part, Instamart has announced the launch of its inaugural annual mega sale 'Quick India Movement 2025' which brings shoppers offers with quick delivery and is set to go live on both the Instamart app and the Swiggy app from September 19 to September 28, 2025.
The sale includes massive discounts ranging from 50-90% off, with significant markdowns across electronics, kitchen and dining, beauty and personal care and over 50,000 products on offer.
The advertiser’s perspective: Rising rates, rising risks
From Rakhi to Diwali, the September–October corridor now contributes nearly 40% of q-comm AdEx, up from 30% last year. The ecosystem is evolving from transactional to experiential: sponsored search, category takeovers, sampling at checkout, and cross-promotions are now standard playbook entries.
Vserve’s CEO Siva Balakrishnan summed it up: “Festive campaigns now account for 40–50% of retail media budgets within quick commerce, up sharply from last year. Instant gifting and impulse shopping have made q-comm a breakout segment.”
For brands like ZOFF Foods, quick commerce is not just distribution- it’s discovery and visibility. “Festive cooking and gifting are impulse-driven. Quick commerce allows us to capture intent at the very moment of purchase,” said Akash Agrawalla, co-founder.
ZOFF is allocating a larger share of its festive marketing budget to q-comm this year, balancing banner placements and festive brand stores with influencer-driven content.
Read more: GST 2.0 likely to lift festive cheer: India’s AdEx set to top Rs 55,000 cr in FY26, up 18–20% YoY
However, Agrawalla flagged two concerns: rising festive ad rates and ad fraud risks. “We track conversions and incremental sales closely. Visibility is valuable, but only if it translates into real demand.”
Industry experts agree that festive advertising on q-comm won’t come cheap.
Vishal Singh of Globale Media noted that homepage banners and premium slots are 15–35% costlier this year, going up to 50% in metros.
Despite this, he said more brands are buying in because “q-comm delivers both branding and conversion.”
Read more: Dark side of dark stores: Q-comm brands like Blinkit, Zepto are quickly losing consumer trust
But the rush also raises red flags. Singh warned of click bots, inflated impressions, and discount-driven mismatches, urging brands to “demand transparency and align promotions with actual supply capacity.”
"Brands must remain vigilant about risks such as ad fraud, click bots, low-quality impressions, inflated discounting practices, and stock-delivery mismatches that can erode ROI and credibility. Marketers should partner only with verified platforms, demand transparent reporting and performance metrics, and closely monitor campaigns for anomalies," he suggested.
Shweta Sharma, CEO of Hakuhodo Data Labs India, echoed the caution. “Quick commerce is a retail media walled garden- if it can’t be independently verified, treat it as directional. Guard against spoofing, bot traffic, and attribution hijacking.”
