Mumbai, Aug 12th, 2026: India’s festive shopping journey has evolved and so should the role of marketers within it. New research by GWI and Snapchat reveals that the festive purchase journey no longer ends with discovery. While creators and content inspire consumers to explore products, purchase decisions are increasingly shaped through conversations with their inner circle of trusted friends and family. For marketers, this means festive success is no longer just about driving awareness, it’s about earning confidence during the moments that ultimately influence what consumers buy.
The research also shows that for Gen Z, festive is no longer a single shopping moment but an extended season of discovery, inspiration and decision-making, giving brands multiple opportunities to engage consumers rather than one peak moment to win.
Jason Mander, Chief Insight Officer at GWI said: “What’s striking in this research is how much the festive shopping journey has changed shape. It’s no longer a single moment to be won around a big shopping weekend. For Gen Z, it’s an extended season, with nearly four in ten planning their Diwali purchases a month or more in advance, and just as many blending planning with impulse buys along the way. And even once a product is discovered, the decision to buy is rarely made alone – most Gen Z shoppers lean on friends and family for reassurance first. For brands, that’s a meaningful shift in where and how they need to show up, and it’s exactly the kind of pattern that only becomes visible when you look at real behavior from real people, rather than stereotypes and assumptions”.
Key takeaways from the research:
The Inner Circle Drives Decisions
The new battleground is confidence, the research suggests that while product discovery remains an important part of the festive shopping journey, purchase decisions are increasingly shaped by consumers’ inner circle, the trusted friends and family they turn to for reassurance before buying.
7 in 10 Gen Z consumers say creator content helps them discover products.1 But when it comes to deciding what to buy, trusted conversations play a different role:
● 76% say instant feedback from people they trust makes them feel more confident in their purchase decisions.1
● 63% share products with friends or family before making a purchase.1
● 4 in 10 actively seek opinions or advice.1
Marketer implication: For brands, this means festive marketing is no longer just about being discovered, it’s also about showing up in the conversations that influence final purchase decisions.
As Gen Z turns to its inner circle before making festive purchases, Snapchat becomes the platform where those conversations happen naturally, helping brands participate in the moments that build confidence before consumers buy.
● 75% of Gen Z Daily Snapchatters agree they chat to their friends on Snapchat about purchases while the item is in their basket.2
● 67% of Gen Z Daily Snapchatters agree Snapchat helps them feel confident in their purchase decisions during the Festive season.2
● 40% of Gen Z Daily Snapchatters say things they saw or shared on Snapchat have led them to share a product with others.2
Festive is about multiple moments and not one singular celebration
Contrary to the perception that festive shopping peaks around Diwali, the research shows that Gen Z begins planning much earlier.
● 70% of Gen Z believe the festive season consists of multiple celebrations rather than one shopping moment.1
● Nearly 4 in 10 start planning Diwali over a month in advance.1
Gen Z engage in both planned and impulse shopping
● 41% of Gen Z say most of their purchases are planned in advance1 while 40% of Gen Z do some planning but also buy spontaneously1