As the final hours of 2023 counted down, Indian consumers turned to quick-commerce platforms in a frenzy of last-minute purchases, with some rather unexpected items topping the charts. Swiggy Instamart's year-end data reveals a fascinating snapshot of India's New Year's Eve celebrations, marked by a staggering surge in grape orders and high-value purchases including gold and iPhones.
The Grape Rush: A 15-Fold Surge Inspired by Tradition
The most striking trend was the astronomical rise in demand for grapes. According to Swiggy Instamart's report, orders for grapes skyrocketed by 15 times on December 31st compared to a typical day. This incredible spike occurred roughly 1.5 hours before midnight, aligning with final party preparations.
The phenomenon is largely attributed to the viral Spanish tradition of eating '12 Grapes of Luck'. This custom involves consuming one grape with each of the twelve chimes of the clock at midnight, believed to usher in good fortune for each month of the coming year. The trend, popularized extensively on social media reels, saw searches for grapes on the platform begin as early as 5 AM on New Year's Eve, with a total of 2,35,000 searches logged.
Cake orders also saw a massive jump, increasing sevenfold in the same pre-midnight window, highlighting the demand for celebratory treats.
Beyond Groceries: Gold, iPhones, and Heartwarming Gifts
The quick-commerce platform's role expanded far beyond everyday essentials this New Year's Eve. In a remarkable instance, a user from Bengaluru placed an order for two iPhones worth ₹1.8 lakh. Even more notably, another shopper purchased gold coins worth ₹6 lakh, showcasing the growing consumer trust in these platforms for high-value transactions.
Swiggy Instamart highlighted a "heartwarming" statistic: at least one out of every nine orders placed on New Year's Eve was intended for a friend or family member. For example, a person in Mumbai received gold items valued at ₹1.45 lakh from a loved one via the platform.
Other Trending Categories on the Final Night
The Instamart report detailed significant spikes across various other product categories as Indians geared up for their celebrations:
- BBQ-related items: Saw a 6x increase, with Pune and Kolkata leading these orders.
- Beverages: Rose by 3.5 times.
- Party glasses: Increased by 2.5 times.
- Pizza bases: Went up by 1.8 times.
- Calendars and planners: Saw a 1.5-fold rise, indicating early New Year resolutions.
Commenting on the evolving landscape, Instamart CEO Amitesh Jha stated, "This year, we saw Quick Commerce move beyond groceries and emergency top-ups to become part of daily life. From milk and fresh produce to electronics, gifting, and even gold, consumers ordered it all from quick commerce."
The data conclusively demonstrates that quick commerce has firmly embedded itself into the fabric of Indian urban life, catering not just to urgent needs but also to spontaneous celebrations, luxury purchases, and the heartfelt act of gifting, all at the tap of a button.
