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Google and YouTube influence 54% of unplanned festive purchases in India, finds Google-commissioned Ipsos study
Google India's festive study found 70% of festive purchases are decided in the moment, though 9 in 10 consumers research extensively online. In addition, 51% of festive shoppers credited AI and 81% chose retailers based on delivery speed.
Channel facts
Figures from Social Samosa,
| Average chatbot consultations per decision journey: | 7.5 |
|---|---|
| Festive buyers turning to creators for inspiration: | 73% |
| Shoppers using visual tools such as Google Lens: | 53% |
What it means for online and offline
With 70% of festive purchases decided in the moment and 9 in 10 shoppers researching online first, make sure your products show up in search, creator content and visual tools like Google Lens, and back it with fast delivery, since 81% pick retailers on speed.
Signals to track
- Festive-season ad-spend commentary from large advertisers or agencies pointing to more money on YouTube, search or creators
- Google announcing new shopping, AI or Lens features or retailer partnerships in India ahead of the festive peak
- Counter-studies from Meta, Amazon or Flipkart claiming a bigger share of festive purchase influence
- Retailers or quick-commerce players announcing faster-delivery guarantees or wider festive delivery coverage
- Post-festive sales results showing whether search- and video-led campaigns lifted unplanned purchases
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Google is likely to turn the study into festive-season pitches to advertisers, pushing YouTube, Google Lens and AI-led shopping formats as the route to unplanned purchases.
- Large brands and retailers are likely to put more festive budget into creator content and visual and AI-assisted search, since 73% of shoppers turn to creators and 53% use tools such as Google Lens.
- Marketplaces and quick-commerce platforms may highlight delivery-speed promises in their festive campaigns, given that 81% of shoppers pick retailers on delivery speed.
- Rival ad platforms such as Meta and the marketplaces' own retail-media arms may publish counter-research claiming a larger role in festive discovery.
- Retailers are likely to ask Google and agencies for cross-channel measurement that ties YouTube and search exposure to in-store and online sales before committing to larger budgets.
The counter-case
The case against this reading — not reported by the source.
This is a Google-commissioned study that reports Google's own influence, so the headline is closer to marketing than independent evidence. 'Influences' is a self-reported, multi-select attribution, not proof that a search or video caused a sale. Shoppers who buy online will almost always have touched Google or YouTube somewhere, so 54% may reflect how widely these platforms are used rather than how much they sway decisions. The figures also pull against each other. If 70% of purchases are decided in the moment, it is hard to square that with 9 in 10 shoppers researching extensively first. Either 'unplanned' means something narrow, or the research is shallow and quick. The softer figures are vague. '51% credit AI' does not say whether AI changed a decision or simply appeared in a search result. The 81% who 'pick retailers on delivery speed' is a stated preference, and real behaviour often favours price, trust and habit. Finally, the findings are about digital discovery. They do not show omni-channel integration between stores and online, so the 'omni-channel' label is a stretch.