How secret Santa parties became a moment for quick commerce this Christmas

In the days leading up to Christmas, India’s quick commerce apps briefly took on a different character. Grocery-led interfaces were overlaid with festive colour palettes, seasonal iconography and dedicated Christmas categories such as Secret Santa gifting, Chocolates & Desserts, Baking Essentials and Party Picks. Delivery timelines remained prominently displayed, reinforcing speed even as the visual language shifted.

Across platforms including Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit and Zepto, this seasonal framing coincided with a period when Secret Santa exchanges, once largely an office tradition, played out across homes, housing societies and informal social gatherings.

A Ritual Defined by Last-Minute Buying

Secret Santa exchanges are typically shaped by two constraints: limited budgets and limited time. Gift values are usually capped, themes are often finalised late, and purchases are frequently made close to the exchange itself.

This structure aligns with the strengths of instant delivery platforms. Many items commonly exchanged during Secret Santa, chocolates, candles, novelty décor, small toys, baking ingredients and packaged desserts, are already part of the everyday assortment on quick commerce apps. During the Christmas period, these products were regrouped into festive collections, making them easier to discover without extensive searching.

The shift was visible within the apps. Christmas-specific sections such as Gifting Specials, Kids’ Corner and Christmas Party appeared alongside regular grocery categories, placing festive shopping within routine app usage rather than positioning it as a separate, planned event.

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Design That Encourages Discovery

What distinguished Secret Santa shopping from regular grocery use was less about product range and more about presentation. Festive tiles, bundled categories and time-bound prompts shaped browsing behaviour toward discovery rather than list-driven purchasing.

Most Secret Santa-related items fall within lower price brackets, allowing users to add items with minimal deliberation. The promise of short delivery windows further reduced friction around last-minute decisions, especially for social occasions that required quick fixes rather than planned purchases.

From a behavioural standpoint, Secret Santa shopping leaned toward immediacy, solving a near-term need rather than executing a pre-planned buy.

Small Orders, Broader Baskets

Unlike traditional festival shopping periods that emphasise bulk buying, Secret Santa-related orders tended to involve smaller baskets spread across categories. A single order might include a gift item alongside chocolates, décor or baking supplies, reflecting the social nature of the occasion.

While platforms do not disclose Christmas- or Secret Santa-specific metrics, the prominence given to these categories during the period suggests their relevance within the broader seasonal experience on quick commerce apps.

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Convenience as Part of the Celebration

The way Secret Santa appeared within quick commerce interfaces this Christmas reflects a broader shift in how urban celebrations are organised. Festive moments are increasingly assembled within short timeframes, supported by on-demand services rather than advance planning.

By accommodating last-minute gifting and party needs within everyday shopping flows, quick commerce platforms have become part of how modern celebrations are executed, supporting traditions through convenience rather than replacing them.

In that sense, Secret Santa’s visibility on these apps this Christmas offered a snapshot of how cultural rituals adapt to faster, app-led lifestyles.