9 in 10 Indians research festive purchases online, but 70% buy on impulse: Google study
9 in 10 consumers conduct extensive online research before buying—discovering new brands, comparing prices, and checking reviews, according to it. sparked by visual discovery and festive urgency While 70% of festive purchases are decided in the moment. Winning this season means meeting consumers at both speeds: building deep relevance during deliberation and moving fast to capture immediate demand—an agility unlocked by our Gemini-powered solutions. ” Some of the findings are: ● AI is becoming an essential festive shopping companion, with consumers consulting chatbots an average of 7.5 times, especially when evaluating categories like electronics, appliances, home decor, and personal care.
Roma Datta Chobey, Managing Director, Connected Consumer Commerce, Google India, said, “What stands out across India’s festive season is how deliberate research and spontaneous impulse coexist. A Google-commissioned Ipsos consumer study has found that Indian festive shoppers are operating at two very different speeds. Shoppers are taking richer, AI-guided journeys to evaluate trade-offs, yet they are equally ready to check out in hours when sparked by video and rapid delivery. With choices remaining fluid right up to the final mile, Google and YouTube sit at the heart of this behavior.
This creates a more curious consumer for whom conversations act as a springboard: across shopping journeys more broadly, AI users explore 2.8x more touchpoints online as they seek deeper context. ● 51% of festive shoppers credit AI with helping them make choices. Aided with knowledge they never previously considered, buyers navigate choices with authority—a shift echoed beyond festive season, where 87% of users report making decisions with higher confidence using AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search. ● Alongside planned research, festive shopping carries a high-momentum spontaneous track where immediate appeal drives the cart. Google and YouTube directly influence 54% of these unplanned purchases, the study claimed adding it is driven primarily by festive urgency, compelling offers, and the instant pull of discovering an appealing product in the moment. ● Visual inspiration and creators turn ideas into instant buys: Visual cues are the primary catalyst for quick action. As celebrations approach, styling searches surge and shoppers act directly on what catches their eye: 53% use visual tools like Google Lens to discover or compare products, while creators and short-form video close the decision loop. 73% of festive buyers turn to creators for inspiration, and 61% of those who made purchases within a couple of days or less without prior research used YouTube Shorts in their shopping journeys. ●Delivery timing has become critical, with 90% of shoppers viewing sub-two-day delivery as non-negotiable and 81% choosing retailers based on speed. Across every entry point, shoppers naturally integrate the platforms into their journey: among consumers using AI chatbots, 94% concurrently turn to Google Search and 87% to YouTube, while 7 in 10 shoppers who spot products on social media turn to Google Search to evaluate them further. 8 in 10 shoppers report being open to trying new retailers — an intent that actively plays out on Google, where 51% of shoppers using Google Search and/or YouTube discover new products along their journey.
Because consumers continuously explore and cross-check across channels, festive choices remain fluid right up to checkout.
This demand for immediacy is already visible around key festivals this season: Google Trends recorded a sharp surge in searches for “same day delivery rakhi” a day before Rakshabandhan this year. This expertise flexes across different needs: shoppers lean on AI for highly specific, tailored answers in personal care and beauty, while using it to demystify complex specs, refine criteria, and evaluate trade-offs in categories like home appliances and consumer electronics. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.