Gen Z rewriting India’s festive shopping funnel, pushing brands beyond discovery, says GWI-Snapchat study

India’s Gen Z is turning the festive shopping season into a longer, more social purchase journey, forcing advertisers to rethink digital strategies.

A new study by GWI and Snapchat, based on 1,008 Gen Z internet users in India, shows that while creators remain important for product discovery, purchase decisions are increasingly influenced by friends and family. Seven in 10 Gen Z consumers say creator content helps them discover products, but 76% say instant feedback from trusted people increases purchase confidence. Another 63% share products with friends or family before buying, while four in 10 actively seek opinions or advice.

“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,” said Jason Mander, chief insight officer at GWI.

The shift is also changing the definition of the festive season. As much as 70% of Gen Z consumers surveyed see it as multiple celebrations rather than one shopping moment, while nearly four in 10 begin planning their Diwali purchases more than a month ahead. Yet the journey is not entirely planned: 41% say most purchases are planned in advance, while 40% combine planning with spontaneous buying.

For advertisers, that creates a longer window to influence consumers, requiring campaigns to move beyond reach and awareness towards consideration and confidence.

How Snapchat is positioning itself in Gen Z’s purchase journey

Snapchat is positioning itself around that shift. Among daily Snapchatters, 75% say they discuss purchases on Snapchat while products are still in their basket, while 67% say the platform helps build confidence in festive purchase decisions. And 40% say something they saw or shared on Snapchat prompted them to share a product with others.

“For years, festive advertising has been centred around visibility. What this research shows is that the next opportunity lies in confidence,” said Yagnesh Ravi, lead-ad solutions, Snap Inc. India.

Neha Jolly Sawhney, head of ad revenue India at Snap Inc., said Snapchat is increasingly being pitched as a full-funnel platform. “Snap is a full funnel platform,” she said, noting that advertisers use it differently depending on whether they seek immediate conversions or longer-term brand building.

Sawhney said quick commerce, food tech, beauty and personal care advertisers tend to use Snapchat with stronger purchase intent, while high-consideration categories such as smartphones, laptops and automobiles focus more on brand preference. Festive packages are being structured around advertiser intent across a six-to-seven-month period spanning Raksha Bandhan, Onam, Independence Day, Dussehra, Durga Puja and Diwali.

The research also shows that festive consumption is rooted in relationships: spending time with family is the top activity for 65% of Gen Z, while 77% say they interact most with family on social media.