Decoding India’s two-speed festive shopper: How AI Search and YouTube drive the cart

08 Oct, 2026

Google India Team

Decoding India’s two-speed festive shopper: How AI Search and YouTube drive the cart

Two weeks before Diwali, a festive shopper spends hours comparing home speaker system specs—asking AI Mode to break down wattage, checking review sites, and watching YouTube deep-dives to make sure she picks the right sound. Fast forward to Diwali week—that same shopper spots a vintage lamp on YouTube Shorts, uses Google Lens to track down a similar match, and checks out within ten minutes because same-day delivery guarantees it will arrive before her Diwali get-together.

This is India’s two-speed festive shopper: deliberate and analytical on one hand, yet ready to act on immediate impulse when visual inspiration and delivery speed align.

Insights from a Google-commissioned Ipsos study reveal that Indian consumers navigate the festive season at two distinct tempos.

Research runs deep: From curiosity to purchase-ready confidence

Festive shopping has moved far beyond quick price checks. Today, shoppers want to understand what they are buying before committing, embarking on exploratory journeys averaging over eight online searches and nearly eight videos ¹ .

AI is making this journey richer and distinctly multi-touchpoint. Over half (51%) of festive shoppers say AI helps them make better decisions ² , consulting chatbots an average of 7.5 times ³ —especially when weighing choices across electronics, home appliances, decor, and personal care. These conversations act as a springboard: shoppers using AI explore 2.8 times ⁴ more touchpoints across the web for context and reassurance.

That curiosity turns into real authority, giving shoppers the clarity to make their final call. And that certainty lasts well beyond the festive rush: 87% of surveyed users say they make decisions with greater confidence using AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search ⁵

Visual inspiration and trust: From discovery to fast delivery

Even with weeks of deliberate research, festive shopping always leaves room for the unexpected. Alongside planned comparison, spontaneous purchases are driven by festive urgency, visual inspiration, and attractive promotions.

Spontaneous purchases influenced by Google and YouTube

In these unplanned moments, decisions are shaped by a few distinct triggers:

Visual discovery sparks instant action: Festive shopping begins with the eyes—consumers search what they see across real-world displays, photos, and video feeds to find ideas. That visual curiosity is where tools like Google Lens bridge inspiration to action, with over half (53%) of festive shoppers using visual tools to discover or compare products ⁶ .
Creators turn inspiration into confidence: Consumers want to see products in action before buying. In India, shopping watch time on YouTube grew over 55% year-over-year ⁷ . For festive shoppers specifically, 73% agree they look to online creators for inspiration ⁸ — relying on tech unboxings, GRWM routines, and festive lookbooks for authentic proof.
YouTube Shorts powers rapid decisions: For quick-turnaround buys, short-form video bridges the gap from discovery to checkout. In fact, 61% of shoppers who made purchases within a couple of days or less without prior research used YouTube Shorts in their shopping journeys ⁹ .
Delivery timelines decide the final choice: As festive deadlines approach, quick turnaround becomes essential. 90% of shoppers view sub-two-day delivery as non-negotiable, while 81% choose their retailer based on delivery speed ¹⁰ .

Connecting both speeds on Google and YouTube

Across both ends of the festive spectrum—from calculated research to spontaneous buys—Google and YouTube connect the entire journey, anchoring both discovery and validation.

No matter where an idea originates, shoppers naturally turn to these platforms: even among consumers using AI chatbots for research, 94% concurrently turn to Google Search and 87% to YouTube, while 7 in 10 shoppers who spot products on social feeds turn to Google Search to evaluate them further ¹¹ .

Because consumers continuously explore and cross-check across channels, brand decisions remain fluid right up to checkout. That ongoing curiosity creates massive opportunity: 51% of surveyed shoppers who used Google Search and/or YouTube discover new products directly along their journey ¹² .

For businesses, winning this festive season means showing up across both tempos: providing clear, credible answers during weeks of AI-guided research, and moving with speed when a visual spark turns into an instant checkout.

For more insights and campaign strategies, access the Google -YouTube Festive Playbook.

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Google commissioned Ipsos Shopping Moments Study, Sept-Nov 2025, Online survey, Surveyed IN consumers 18+ who conducted Navratri/Diwali shopping activities in the past two days, n=2450 who shopped for and were assigned to one of seven categories. Results represent an average across seven categories (jewellery, furniture & home decor, apparel, mobile devices, personal care & cosmetics, consumer electronics, and appliances)

Google commissioned Ipsos Shopping Moments Study, Sept-Nov 2025, Online survey, Surveyed IN consumers 18+ who conducted Navratri/Diwali shopping activities in the past two days, n=2275 who used AI platforms or features during their shopping and were assigned to one of seven categories. Results represent an average across seven categories (jewellery, furniture & home decor, apparel, mobile devices, personal care & cosmetics, consumer electronics, and appliances). 'Making decisions' includes influencing final decision and/or helping re-evaluate a decision already made

Google Global Consumer Journeys Refresh, December 2025, Online survey, IN, Adults 18+, online shoppers who made a consumer good purchase requiring consideration in the past week (range of categories) comparing n=1173 who used AI in their journey to n=298 that did not.

Google commissioned Ipsos Global Consumer Journeys, Dec 2025, Online survey, India adults 18+, n=1073 online shoppers who made a consumer good purchase requiring consideration in the past week (range of categories) and use Google AI Overviews and/or AI Mode for shopping

Shopping-related watchtime in India grew more than 55% year over year (April 2026).

Source : Google Deloitte The $250 Billion Commerce Frontier, 7 April 2026

Google commissioned Ipsos Shopping Moments Study, Sept-Nov 2025, Online survey, Surveyed IN consumers 18+ who conducted Navratri/Diwali shopping activities in the past two days, n=426 who made a purchase within a couple of days or less without researching the product and were assigned to one of seven categories. Results represent an average across seven categories (jewellery, furniture & home decor, apparel, mobile devices, personal care & cosmetics, consumer electronics, and appliances).

Google commissioned Ipsos Shopping Moments Study, Sept-Nov 2025, Online survey, Surveyed IN consumers 18+ who conducted Navratri/Diwali shopping activities in the past two days, n=1985 who used Generative AI vs. n=464 who did not use Generative AI during their shopping, and were assigned to one of seven categories. Results represent an average across seven categories (jewellery, furniture & home decor, apparel, mobile devices, personal care & cosmetics, consumer electronics, and appliances).

Google commissioned Ipsos Shopping Moments Study, Sept-Nov 2025, Online survey, Surveyed IN consumers 18+ who conducted Navratri/Diwali shopping activities in the past two days, n=2327 who used Google and/or YouTube, who shopped for and were assigned to one of seven categories. Results represent an average across seven categories (jewellery, furniture & home decor, apparel, mobile devices, personal care & cosmetics, consumer electronics, and appliances).