From rakhis to smartphones: Indians turn to quick commerce for last-minute Raksha Bandhan shopping

Gone are the days when Raksha Bandhan shopping wrapped up weeks in advance. This year, shoppers increasingly turned to quick commerce for everything from rakhis and sweets to smartphones and festive outfits, highlighting how convenience is reshaping one of India's biggest gifting festivals.

Data from Flipkart Minutes suggests that consumers are also moving beyond traditional presents, with personalised gifts and premium accessories gaining traction alongside conventional festive purchases.

The quick commerce platform reported a threefold jump in Raksha Bandhan orders this season, with Gen Z accounting for more than 40% of shoppers.

The trend points to younger consumers embracing on-demand delivery not just for everyday essentials but also for festival shopping, especially when time is running out.

While rakhis remained the biggest draw, shopping baskets reflected a broader shift in gifting habits. Rakhi and Fashion Maang Tikka emerged as the fastest-growing categories, recording 20X and 4X growth respectively.

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Precious earrings, gold and silver coins and bars, and pooja thali sets also saw strong demand, suggesting that consumers continue to blend traditional purchases with aspirational gifting.

The strongest demand wasn't limited to India's largest cities. Alongside metros such as Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Kolkata, shoppers in Aurangabad, Madurai and Nawada were also driving festive purchases, reflecting the growing adoption of quick commerce across smaller markets.

One of the clearest trends was the rise of last-minute buying. Flipkart Minutes said its Rakhi Store sold more than 2,000 rakhis every minute during the festive rush, while mobile handsets, true wireless earbuds, gold coin bars and smartwatches emerged as the most popular gift choices.

Shopping activity peaked between 4 pm and 10 pm, with mobile phones recording the highest gifting orders within a single hour, underscoring consumers' growing reliance on rapid delivery for time-sensitive occasions.

Search and purchase patterns also suggest that gifting is becoming more personalised. Accessories such as fashion brooches, mobile tripods and watch combos recorded 3.5X growth, while searches for "Rakhi gift hamper for brother", "Rakhi Gift Basket for sister" and "Rudraksha Rakhi" gained momentum.

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 Demand for sweets such as besan laddu and rasmalai, alongside chocolates, further indicates that consumers are increasingly assembling customised gift combinations rather than opting for standard festive offerings.

Festive fashion also benefited from the rush. Orders for men's kurtas rose 87% year-on-year on Flipkart Minutes, suggesting that quick commerce is increasingly becoming a fallback for shoppers looking to put together both gifts and festive wardrobes at the last minute.