Restaurant India News: Instamart Sees 3.5x Jump in Rakhi Orders as Festive Shopping Starts Early

Instamart is seeing an early surge in festive demand ahead of Raksha Bandhan, reflecting a shift in consumer buying behavior toward advance planning rather than last-minute purchases.

Manender Kaushik, AVP and Category Head, Instamart, said, “The consumer demand for Rakhi and gifting started showing up days before the festival this year, proving consumers aren't just turning to Instamart for their last-minute needs but also planning their festive purchases in advance.”

The platform crossed its total Rakhi sales from last year earlier in the week and has reported a 3.5x increase in Rakhi orders compared to the same period in 2024. “Having surpassed last year’s Rakhi sales earlier this week, we have now achieved a 3.5x surge in orders for Rakhi compared to the same period last year,” Kaushik added.

Instamart has expanded its assortment for the occasion, including a partnership with Kalyan Jewellers to offer Silver rakhis for the first time on quick commerce. “This year, we have increased the selection of Rakhis on the platform, partnering with Kalyan Jewellers to offer Silver rakhis for the first time on quick commerce,” Kaushik said. As part of the collaboration, users also received vouchers worth Rs 2,100 from Kalyan Jewellers.

Gifting categories have also shown significant growth. “Talking about gifting, Rakhi hampers are up 8x year-on-year, sweets and chocolates have surged 8x and 4x compared to regular days—signs that people are choosing to go bigger, more thoughtful, and more indulgent with their gifting,” Kaushik noted.

For the retail and quick commerce sector, these figures indicate front-loaded festive demand, the role of category expansion in driving growth, and rising ticket sizes in seasonal gifting. Instamart’s assortment strategy now includes premium and festival-led products such as jewelry-linked offerings, supported by value-based incentives like partner vouchers.