Overview

A LocalCircles press release dated 27 Oct 2026 presents findings from a large‑scale consumer survey on quick‑commerce behaviour ahead of Diwali. The study collected over 204,000 responses from users in 130 districts and 11,275 platform ratings across 100 districts, achieving a margin of error under 5 % at a 95 % confidence level.

User Preference Findings

  • Value dominates: 71 % of respondents said they will pick a quick‑commerce platform for festive shopping based on the best price or overall value.
  • Quality matters: 65 % cited product quality as a top factor, while 43 % preferred platforms with low or no additional charges.
  • Speed loses appeal: Only 22 % consider fast delivery a decisive criterion.
  • Other considerations: 46 % value product availability, 38 % look for offers/discounts, 31 % want a wide festive range, and 28 % expect reliable delivery.
  • Everyday vs festive: For regular purchases, 75 % rank quality and 72 % rank price among their top three factors; offers drop from 54 % (everyday) to 38 % (festive).

Festive Spending Outlook

LocalCircles projects urban households will spend roughly ₹1.97 lakh crore on Diwali purchases, about ₹12,000 crore higher than 2024 despite a moderation from the previous GST‑boosted peak. Approximately 57 % of urban families plan to shop, averaging ₹20,000 each, with top categories being clothing/footwear/accessories (72 %), home appliances/furniture (45 %), travel (45 %), and gourmet foods/gifts (39 %). A striking 83 % intend to dip into savings, underscoring price sensitivity.

Platform Performance and Expansion

  • Blinkit: Net order value up 79 % YoY to ₹20,940 cr (July‑Sept 2026); added 308 dark stores, reaching 2,751 stores, targeting 3,500 by Mar 2027.
  • Swiggy Instamart: Gross order value rose 31 % to ₹9,230 cr from 13 cr orders.
  • Zepto: Revenue more than doubled to ₹22,624 cr for FY 2026 on over 64 cr orders.
  • Amazon Now: Crossed US$1 bn in annualised gross sales, doubled city reach to 120+ cities in two weeks, and reported a 100 % YoY rise in product orders during the Great Indian Festival.
  • Flipkart Minutes: Order volume grew 3.5 × on a Big Billion Days day; overall sales up 20‑22 % YoY by the sale’s end.
  • Network growth: Dark‑store counts – Blinkit 2,751, Swiggy Instamart 1,240 (133 cities), Zepto 1,139 (Mar 2026), BigBasket 497 (top 10 cities), JioMart covering 5,500 PIN codes.
  • Geographic spread: Flipkart Minutes expanded to smaller cities (Ambala, Bhagalpur, Kanpur, Siliguri) with a ~25 × YoY growth; Amazon Now aims for 300+ cities by year‑end.
  • Employment impact: TeamLease Services expects festive‑season temporary hiring to rise 15‑20 % over the prior year.

Order Value and Fee Insights

  • Typical spend: 69 % of users place orders in the ₹200‑₹999 range (20 % ₹200‑399, 27 % ₹400‑599, 22 % ₹600‑999). Only 16 % exceed ₹1,000.
  • Platform AOVs: Blinkit average order value ₹518 (Apr‑Jun 2026); Amazon Now ₹575; Swiggy Instamart ₹708 (Jul‑Sept 2026).
  • Fee irritation: 60 % report extra charges (delivery, handling, small‑cart, surge) very often or often; only 26 % say fees rarely or never inflate the bill.
  • Fee structures: Common charges include delivery, handling, small‑cart (orders below a minimum), late‑night/surge fees, and platform fees; free‑delivery thresholds now hover around ₹199.

Platform Rankings (out of 5)

  • Selection: Blinkit & BigBasket 4.5, Amazon Now & Zepto 4.
  • Quality: Amazon Now, Flipkart Minutes & BigBasket 4.
  • Value: Amazon Now, Zepto & JioMart Quick 4.
  • Customer Service: Amazon Now, Zepto & BigBasket 3.5 (all platforms ≤ 3.5).
  • Transparency of Charges: Amazon Now & Zepto 4.5, JioMart Quick 4.
  • Product Exclusivity: BigBasket 4.5, Amazon Now 4.
  • Speed: Blinkit 5, Zepto 4.5, Flipkart Minutes 4.

Overall scores (out of 35): Zepto 27.5, Amazon Now 27.5, BigBasket 26, Blinkit 23.5, Flipkart Minutes 23.5, Swiggy Instamart 22, JioMart Quick 19.5.

Platform Choice for Festive vs Everyday Shopping

  • Festive: Amazon Now preferred by 22 %, Blinkit 19 %, Zepto 14 %, BigBasket 12 %, Swiggy Instamart 9 %, Flipkart Minutes 8 %, JioMart Quick 4 %; 12 % undecided.
  • Everyday: Blinkit leads with 31 %, Amazon Now 25 %, BigBasket 12 %, Flipkart Minutes & Zepto each 11 %, Swiggy Instamart 3 %, JioMart Quick 1 %; 6 % undecided.

The shift indicates users switch platforms for festive orders, emphasizing price, fees, and availability.

Survey Methodology

  • Demographics: 63 % male, 37 % female; 45 % from Tier‑1, 31 % Tier‑2, 24 % Tier‑3/4 districts.
  • Sampling: Stratified approach with minimum 30 % gender and 15 % representation from each tier group; margin of error < 5 % (95 % confidence).
  • Ratings: 11,275 platform ratings collected over four weeks; each platform received at least 1,000 ratings; overall rating margin of error < 10 % (90 % confidence).

Quote

“Sachin Taparia, Founder, LocalCircles, said: ‘Speed is no longer the deciding factor; consumers want the best value, reliable quality and a final bill that matches the price they first saw.’"

Recommendations

  • For platforms: Show full price (including all fees) on product pages, keep fees low during the festive period, expand product range, display best‑before dates, and streamline quality‑related refunds.
  • For regulators: Intensify monitoring of dark‑pattern practices and enforce transparent pricing.
  • For consumers: Verify total checkout amount, remove unwanted items or memberships, compare total bills across apps, and report dark‑pattern violations.