As social media becomes increasingly central to how Indians shop, we have unveiled key consumer insights from a study on the Retail industry. The Meta-commissioned study by GWI underscores Meta’s pivotal role in influencing shopping journeys, from discovery to conversion, highlighting how our platforms have become integral to the country’s evolving retail landscape.
According to the study, nearly 8 in 10 shoppers discover new products through social media, with 96% of these discoveries happening on our platforms, underscoring the role of Facebook and Instagram in today’s retail landscape. The influence is so significant that even in-store shoppers are now more likely to discover and research products on our platforms for discovery and research than on physical retail displays.
“Indian shoppers today are social-first, mobile-first, and video-first irrespective of whether the purchase happens offline or online. With consumers increasingly relying on Reels, messaging, and influencer content to discover and evaluate products, offline retailers have an opportunity to reach their customers across multiple touch points simultaneously and harness the power of our platforms to build unique online and phygital experiences that also move metrics across the funnel.” – Meghna Apparao, Director, E-commerce and Retail (India) at Meta
The study highlights the powerful impact of video content on purchase behavior. Two to three-minute videos and Reels on our platforms are proving highly effective, with 3 in 10 viewers purchasing products featured in brand videos. This trend is particularly pronounced in luxury categories, where visual storytelling through short-form content has a significant impact on buying decisions.
“At Tanishq, we’ve always believed in meeting our customers where they are — both online and offline. Meta’s solutions like Click to WhatsApp (CTWA) have helped us in that journey. By combining conversational commerce with tailored messaging, we’ve seen over 14x offline ROAS. What’s even more exciting is the potential of Meta’s omnichannel ads — allowing us to drive both online and in-store sales through a single, unified campaign. As one of the first to test the solution with offline CAPI, we’re seeing a 40% jump in ROAS for online purchases and an improvement in offline purchases. Meta’s retail solutions are helping us not just drive omni sales — but truly connect with our customers, wherever they are in their buying journey.” – Pelki Tshering, Chief Marketing Officer, Tanishq
“In our pilot campaign utilizing Meta’s omnichannel ads, we observed a significant boost in performance, achieving 3.5x higher purchase conversions and 4.3x higher Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) compared to campaigns optimized solely for purchases. This encouraging outcome reinforces the value of a multi-touchpoint strategy, and we’re excited to take this experiment further in the coming year.” – Aishwarya Omprakash, Head of Marketing, Taneira
Influencer marketing has emerged as a key driver of retail action across India. The study found that 6 in 10 shoppers follow national influencers, with this category of content creators having the biggest impact on both product discovery and purchase decisions. National influencer recommendations are driving sales both online and in physical stores, demonstrating the cross-channel influence of creators.
Our messaging platform, WhatsApp, plays a crucial role in the purchase journey. Nearly 60% of users are likely to buy a product after seeing an offer on WhatsApp, highlighting how business messaging leads to tangible retail action and drives store visits.
While in-store shopping still dominates for big-ticket items like luxury jewelry and large electronics, the study shows that online research and social discovery are increasingly influencing these offline purchases as well. Many consumers blend online and offline touchpoints, researching the product online before buying in-store (webrooming) or exploring it in-store before purchasing online (showrooming).
As shoppers increasingly seek inspiration from content, creators, and communities, the study emphasizes the opportunity for brands to invest in storytelling, especially through short-form video and influencer partnerships – to drive meaningful engagement and results. It underscores how our platforms have become essential infrastructure for India’s retail ecosystem, enabling businesses to reach consumers at every stage of their shopping journey – from initial discovery through final purchase, both online and offline.
