A Mumbai shopper bought ₹1.11 lakh worth of gold coins this Diwali. Instamart’s report showed that Indians mixed traditional gold purchases with everyday household items like lunch boxes and olive oil. Many shoppers chose floral designs for their coins, while the first gold order arrived at 12:00:30 am on November 6.
Diwali's big spenders: One Mumbai shopper bought ₹1.11 lakh worth of gold coins
Gold coins and grocery lists: How Indians shopped their way through Diwali
Sunainaa Chadha NEW DELHI
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What does a typical Indian Diwali shopping cart look like? A gold coin, perhaps a box of Kaju Katli, some party snacks and, if the family's priorities are anything to go by, a children's lunch box.
This Diwali, Indians appeared to have embraced the art of shopping for everything at once. Quick-commerce platform Instamart's post-Diwali trends report reveals an interesting mix of traditional wealth purchases, festive indulgences and everyday household essentials — sometimes all in the same order.
Gold remained a festive favourite, with one Mumbai shopper going on a ₹1.11 lakh spending spree, filling the cart with gold coins featuring Lakshmi-Ganesh and lotus designs.
But the more interesting trend was how consumers combined precious metals with ordinary household purchases.
A Gurgaon shopper placed an order worth ₹30,855, which included a 1-gram Lakshmi gold coin and a children's lunch box. In Bengaluru, another consumer spent ₹32,298 on a basket featuring a 2-gram Lakshmi gold coin and olive oil.
A Delhi shopper paired a 1-gram floral gold coin with LED curtain lights in an order worth ₹29,907, while a Chennai consumer combined a 1-gram Lakshmi gold coin with a 50-gram silver bar in a ₹26,770 basket.
The message? Diwali shopping is no longer neatly divided into investment purchases, gifting and household spending. The quick-commerce cart is increasingly accommodating all three.
Gold gets a floral makeover
For those buying gold, design mattered almost as much as the metal itself.
Nearly two out of every three gold coins purchased on Instamart featured rose or floral designs, making them the most popular choice. Lakshmi and Ganesh designs followed.
Silver buyers, meanwhile, stuck closer to tradition. Lakshmi-Ganesh designs accounted for 73 per cent of silver coin purchases.
The festive buying frenzy began almost as soon as the clock struck midnight. Instamart recorded its first gold coin order at 12:00:30 am on November 6 from Hyderabad, for a floral 24-karat gold coin. The first silver coin order followed just four seconds later from Bengaluru.
The biggest rush for gold and silver came at 6:38 pm, suggesting that shoppers were still making last-minute purchases well into the evening.
Kaju Katli beats Soan Papdi, but Diet Coke steals the show
While gold was finding its way into shopping carts, India's sweet tooth remained firmly intact.
Kaju Katli topped Instamart's mithai charts this Diwali, followed by Motichoor Laddoo and Besan Laddoo. Mysore Pak, Soan Papdi, Peda and Gulab Jamun completed the list.
Party planning also saw a sharp jump. Orders for party-related products surged 162 per cent year-on-year, while demand for snacks and munchies rose 42 per cent.
And in perhaps one of the more unexpected festive trends, Diet Coke emerged as the most popular non-grocery item on Diwali eve.
The report also found that assorted dry-fruit gift packs more than doubled in demand, while dinner sets emerged as the most popular gifting item.
Festive spending goes beyond the metros
The appetite for festive shopping was not restricted to India's biggest cities. Raipur, Madurai, Guwahati, Thrissur and Kollam emerged as leading cities for festive demand on the platform.
Some shoppers also used the occasion to upgrade their homes. A Noida consumer spent ₹25,313 on an air purifier and a cordless vacuum cleaner, while clothing, jewellery, hair accessories, electronics and kitchen and dining products recorded significant year-on-year growth.
The busiest hour for Diwali shopping was between 11 am and noon on November 8, with 11:18 am emerging as the busiest minute.
Biggest Spenders: What India's top festive baskets looked like
A Mumbai user topped the charts with a ₹1.11 lakh basket, going big on gold with Laxmi-Ganesh and lotus-design coins. A Hyderabad user went for the gold-and-silver combo, with a ₹52,215 basket featuring a 2g flower-design gold coin and a 100g silver bar.
A Bengaluru user mixed tradition with everyday needs, clocking a ₹32,298 basket with a 2g Laxmi gold coin, olive oil and more.
A user from Gurgaon balanced festive shopping with family essentials, with a ₹30,855 basket featuring a 1g Laxmi gold coin and a kids’ lunch box.
A Delhi user added some sparkle to the celebrations, with a ₹29,907 basket pairing a 1g flower-design gold coin with LED curtain lights.
A user from Chennai kept gold and silver together, with a ₹26,770 basket featuring a 1g Laxmi gold coin and a 50g silver bar.
A user from Noida gave its home a Diwali makeover, spending ₹25,313 on an air purifier and a cordless vacuum cleaner.
Dhanteras: Gold, silver and a little last-minute sparkle
Festive shopping started right on the dot. The first gold coin order came in at 12:00:30 AM IST on November 6 from Hyderabad, for a Flower 24 Karat Gold Coin. The first order containing a silver coin followed just four seconds later, at 12:00:34 AM, from Bengaluru.
Floral gold was in full bloom. Nearly 2 in 3 gold coins purchased were rose or floral designs, making them the clear favourite, followed by Lakshmi and Ganesh designs.
Silver had a clear favourite. Lakshmi-Ganesh designs accounted for 73% of silver coin demand.
The evening rush peaked at 6:38 PM. This was the busiest minute for gold and silver coin orders, as shoppers continued making their festive purchases through the evening.