Gen Z festive spending rises, but research, trust and value still decide the purchase

A consumer report finds 60% of Gen Z respondents spend more during festivals, while search, AI and quick commerce shape discovery. Quality, price and seller verification remain decisive, with 46% researching further after creator-led recommendations.

— Source publishedThu, 24 Sept, 2026, 19:30 IST·First seen Thu, 24 Sept, 2026, 19:37 IST·Source BL · Consumer & Economy

What happened

omni-channel · India’s Gen Z is increasing festive spending but researches prices, products and sellers before buying. Search, AI and quick commerce influence

Key facts

  • 60% of Gen Z respondents spend more during festivals
  • 41% use online search for festive inspiration
  • 46% research further before purchase
  • Nearly 60% use AI for product research
  • 51% cite quality and 49% price as decision anchors

What changed

India’s Gen Z is increasing festive spending but researches prices, products and sellers before buying. Search, AI and quick commerce influence discovery, while quality, price, trust, established brands and healthier choices remain key decision drivers.

Why this matters

Use festive discovery across AI, search, creators and quick commerce to drive traffic, but win conversion with transparent pricing, quality proof and prominently verified seller credentials.

What to watch

  • Increase in searches for reviews, authenticity, return policy, warranty or seller ratings after creator campaigns.
  • Gap between creator-driven traffic growth and checkout conversion rates.
  • Share of orders originating from quick-commerce platforms in the final festival week.
  • Rising cancellation, return or customer-service rates tied to product-quality or seller-trust concerns.
  • Retail-media CPC inflation and growing spend on retargeting or branded search.

Also reported by