From Tier-1 to Tier-2+, India's Festive Shopping is Now Digital, Vernacular & Cross-Screen: Affle's Festive Pulse 2025

NewsVoir
New Delhi [India], September 22: Affle 3i Ltd, a leading consumer technology company, today launched its India festive season report, titled "India's Festive Pulse 2025: Decoding Trends for the Shopping Season." The report, produced in collaboration with audience intelligence platform VTION, is based on a first-party survey of consumers across Metros and Townclass, and sheds light on evolving shopper journeys for brands to maximize impact during the high-stakes period. The report captures a 360° view of how India's festive shoppers are blending mobile, CTV, and offline touchpoints; how multilingual ads are shaping engagement; and how marketers are recalibrating campaigns to tap into both urban and emerging Tier 2+ markets.
The Indian festive season, spanning key periods from Navratri and Durga Puja to Diwali,remains the most crucial sales window for brands. This period is characterized by a higher consumer sentiment, bonus-linked spending power, and the cultural significance of gifting and upgrading. In recent years, the season has also become synonymous with blockbuster eCommerce sales, aggressive discounting, and omnichannel shopping experiences that blur the lines between online and offline. As the festive season starts across the country today, the outlook is positive with 47% respondents suggesting they have a higher purchase intent this season.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Vipul Kedia, COO - India & Emerging Markets at Affle, said, "With this year's report, we set out to highlight how India's festive shopper is navigating a truly connected journey, one that spans mobile apps, CTV, and offline touchpoints in seamless but complex ways. What's clear is that discovery and purchase are no longer linear or tied to a single screen. Instead, consumers move fluidly across platforms, with ads on mobile and CTV playing a pivotal role not just in triggering action but in building lasting recall. The rise of vernacular and culturally contextual creative further underscores the need for marketers to think beyond reach and embrace resonance. As festive campaigns become more multi-screen and intent-driven, the opportunity lies in integrating these touchpoints into one connected, measurable experience."
Key Takeaways from the Report
- Discovery is Mobile-First but Cross-Channel: Mobile remains a primary device for festive purchases. Nearly 68% of consumers discover festive deals through in-app ads. While social media plays a similar role, CTV is emerging as a popular channel of choice with product discovery increasingly being driven there.
- Intent Builds Early, Conversions Peak Later: Nearly half (49%) of shoppers start planning festive purchases 15 days in advance, while 50% of purchases occur within 3-7 days after seeing an ad.
- Regional Relevance is a Game-Changer: 79% of users engage better with ads in their local language. Reflecting this, over 70% of marketers are now investing in state-specific campaigns, with 41% prioritizing Tier 1-2 cities this season.
- Cross-Screen Journeys Define Shopping: While 58% of consumers purchase on the same device where they first discovered a product, 32% switch devices and 38% complete the transaction offline, proving festive shopping is an omnichannel blended experience.
Shailesh Varudkar, Chief Operating Officer at VTION added, "The festive season in India has always been the heartbeat of commerce, and this report, in collaboration with Affle, shows just how much the pulse has changed. Shoppers are now mobile-first, discovery-driven, and effortlessly omnichannel; switching between social feeds, CTV, and shopping apps before making a purchase. For marketers, the lesson is clear: campaigns must be recalibrated for this new consumer journey, where timing, personalization, and context define festive success.."
Detailed insights from India's festive season consumption habits are covered in the Report that can be accessed here
About the Survey: A nationwide survey was conducted by VTION in collaboration with Affle in August 2025, with 1850 respondents across Metros and non-Metros. Among the respondents, 67% were males and 33% were females, spanning age groups from 18-35+ years. The survey covered NCCS A/B/C/D/E.
Affle 3i Limited is a global technology company enabling AI-led solutions in mobile advertising. Affle enables advertisers to optimize targeting, personalize user engagement and maximize ROI by combining proprietary data, deep audience insights and advanced generative AI capabilities.
With our market-leading portfolio of tech platforms, we empower brands to move beyond automation toward next-gen experiences with measurable impact. Our consumer intelligence platforms deliver personalized solutions at scale, helping marketers connect with audiences in more relevant and meaningful ways. With innovative tech-powered capabilities, we drive performance across every stage of the mobile marketing journey. We are augmenting our authentic intelligence with AI-powered agents and algorithms, going beyond efficiency to adapt in real-time and drive outcomes that matter. Affle 3i Limited is listed on the NSE (AFFLE) and BSE (542752).
For more information, visit www.affle.com | contact: pr@affle.com.
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