Quick commerce platforms see Holi surge as last-minute shoppers drive festive demand

India’s quick commerce platforms are witnessing a surge in festive purchases this Holi, with last-minute shoppers driving strong demand for colours, water guns, sweets and celebration essentials across metros and smaller cities alike.

E-commerce marketplace Flipkart said orders on its quick delivery service Flipkart Minutes grew sixfold year-on-year in the run-up to the festival, reflecting the growing shift towards instant and “just-in-time” shopping for festive needs.

According to the company, the momentum intensified in the final stretch before Holi, with more than 2.5 lakh orders placed on March 4 between midnight and noon alone. Products such as mobile pouches, men’s and kids’ T-shirts, women’s kurtis, sunglasses and speakers saw strong traction alongside everyday essentials.

“Holi is a festival defined by spontaneity and vibrant celebration, and this year, that energy translated into a significant surge on Flipkart,” a Flipkart spokesperson said. “Our focus remained on balancing extreme affordability with high-speed convenience. With festive essentials starting at just ₹9, we witnessed a strong response across categories—from traditional white kurtas and holika dahan kits to celebratory smoke guns and décor.”

Last-minute shopping drives quick commerce growth

The surge in quick commerce orders underscores a broader behavioural shift among consumers who are increasingly relying on instant delivery platforms to fulfil last-minute festive requirements.

Flipkart said demand for Holi staples such as colours, pichkaris, sweets and even ice cubes reflected this trend towards immediate purchases as celebrations approached.

Geographically, metro cities such as Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata continued to lead the orders, but the company also saw strong participation from non-metro markets including Jamshedpur, Surat, Guwahati, Siliguri, Visakhapatnam, Vadodara, Durgapur, Varanasi and Nashik, indicating growing adoption of quick commerce in smaller cities.

An Amazon Now spokesperson said customers in parts of Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru enjoyed special offers through the platform’s ‘Holi Must-Haves’ store, with thousands of products—from white kurtas, pichkaris and water guns to herbal gulal, gift boxes, gujiyas, snacks and décor—delivered within minutes. The quick delivery service catered to last-minute festive shoppers looking to prepare for Holi celebrations.

Premium products and playful celebrations gain traction

Quick commerce platform Instamart also reported a sharp spike in demand across Holi-related categories, reflecting a mix of traditional and premium celebration trends.

According to the company, sales of water guns surged nearly 36 times week-on-week, while water balloons jumped more than 44 times. Demand for Holi colours grew nearly 33 times during the same period.

“Holi is a festival rooted in spontaneity, togetherness, and those unplanned moments when colours fly and celebrations spill into the streets,” an Instamart spokesperson said. “We’re seeing consumers go all-in on play, while festive staples like gujiya and thandai are also seeing strong traction.”

To tap into the demand, Instamart expanded its Holi assortment with premium products, including high-performance water blasters from brands such as Spyra and NERF Super Soaker, along with UV and phool gulal, organic colours, festive sweets, fresh flowers, décor and post-celebration skincare products.

City-wise festive trends emerge

Quick commerce platform Zepto also highlighted strong city-level trends during the Holi shopping rush.

According to a Zepto spokesperson, Bengaluru emerged as the ultimate Holi hotspot, leading the celebrations with the highest orders of gulal, Holi colours and water guns.

Delhi, meanwhile, became the gujiya capital of the season, with the festive sweet driving overall mithai demand alongside Mumbai and Bengaluru.

When it came to festive beverages, Mumbai earned the title of the thandai capital, with Delhi and Bengaluru close behind, making it a flavour-packed Holi across cities.

bigbasket also expects strong festive demand. “With innovative assortments such as pichkaris, herbal gulal, water balloons and Holika Dahan essentials like havan kund and cow dung cakes, we expect to at least double our sales compared to last year,” said Seshu Kumar Tirumala, chief buying and merchandising officer at bigbasket.

The spike in festive purchases across platforms highlights how quick commerce services are increasingly becoming the go-to channel for seasonal and impulse-driven buying. With faster delivery times and wider assortments—from traditional sweets to premium celebration products—these platforms are playing a growing role in how consumers prepare for and celebrate festivals such as Holi.