Companies like Zepto and Blinkit ran a Secret Santa feature on their apps to leverage the occasion for last-minute purchases. In just two days of launch, Zepto noted that over 1,00,000 Secret Santa groups had been created. Customers can create groups within their own circle, or collaborate with strangers.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve have been known to be the busiest days for quick commerce and food delivery platforms. Indeed, December 31 is typically the busiest day of the year for these platforms. Last year, these platforms reported record orders on New Year’s eve as consumers increasingly opted for the convenience of home delivery for party provisions.
This year, Christmas has also seen strong traction.
“During Christmas, we have seen 30–40% year-on-year (YoY) growth on quick commerce platforms, ahead of overall category growth,” said Avi Kumar, chief marketing officer at Ferns N Petals. “Demand peaks in the final 24 to 48 hours before Christmas, reinforcing quick commerce as a high-intent, last-minute gifting channel driven by speed and availability.”
Online bakery Bakingo witnessed a 2X YoY growth during Christmas on quick commerce platforms as the demand for plum cakes, baked treats, and desserts increased during this time.
Similarly, personal care brand Pilgrim clocked a 5-6X YoY growth on quick commerce this year, according to Anurag Kedia, the company’s cofounder. GenZ fashion brand Campus Sutra saw a 20% increase in sales during the days leading up to Christmas.
For grooming brand Bombay Shaving Company, the shift has been significant. “We have seen nearly 100% YoY growth on quick commerce during Christmas,” said Deepak Gupta, cofounder and chief operating officer of the company.
The demand is not just limited to established D2C brands for season-specific SKUs. Customers are keen to experiment with their purchases through new brands and products, multiple founders noted.
Fragrance brand Bla Bli Blu, launched this July, has seen strong demand this Christmas on quick commerce, with sales up 60% to Rs 4.6 crore. Samantha Ruth Prabhu-backed perfume brand Secret Alchemist has seen a 2X increase in sales during this period.
Gifting gains
The preference for pre-packed hampers, ready-to-gift options, and instant delivery has reinforced quick commerce’s role as a go-to channel for last-minute festive shopping, according to analysts.
Bombay Shaving Company’s Gupta says that around 70–80% of gifting has now shifted to quick commerce platforms, which is why, “we have introduced products priced under Rs 1,000 since that’s the clear sweet spot for consumers today.”
To cater to the growing demand for gifting during festival days, platforms have changed the UI/UX of their apps to match the season’s theme, including a deals corner, banners of sponsors with special offers, and special effects when placing orders.
On Zepto, for instance, there is an option to enable a ‘snow mode,’ and whenever a Christmas item like a plum cake or decor is bought, music is played in the background and ‘snow’ falls.
Along with platforms, brands have also noticed that the gifting category is gaining popularity on quick commerce platforms, and launched festive-specific products.
“We have launched packages named ‘Secret Santa’, which have seen strong traction. People want to order quickly, they are not willing to wait for two-three days. It is simply more convenient to order gifts on quick commerce,” said Rajat Kullar, founder of Bla Bli Blu.
“Today, quick commerce is less about urgency and more about enabling meaningful, well-considered gifting choices in real time,” said Vishal Chaturvedi, chief revenue officer of The Body Shop, south Asia.