Festive celebrations across the country led to a dramatic surge in demand for ultra-fast delivery services. Swiggy's quick-commerce arm, Instamart, recorded a 162 percent year-on-year growth in orders related to party preparations during Diwali. Alongside party supplies, demand for savory snacks and namkeen experienced a 42 percent year-on-year increase. Festive shopping patterns showed that households turned in large numbers to instant delivery for traditional sweets, household items, and precious metals.
Sweets and Festive Snacks: Kaju Katli Takes Top Spot
Among traditional Indian sweets, Kaju Katli emerged as the undisputed favorite for consumers during the festival. According to platform data, Kaju Katli became the most ordered sweet on Diwali day. It was followed by Motichoor Ladoo in second position, while Besan Ladoo ranked third in overall sales volume. Geographically, high delivery demand was not restricted to major metros; cities like Raipur, Madurai, Guwahati, Thrissur, and Kollam logged the highest concentration of festive delivery requests.
Peak Shopping Hours and Popular Categories
Shopping activity reached its highest intensity on 8 November, with the hour between 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM recording the highest volume of orders. The single busiest minute occurred precisely at 11:18 AM, registering the peak number of transactions per minute. On Chhoti Diwali, Diet Coke emerged as the top ordered non-grocery item. Strong year-on-year demand growth was also registered across non-food categories including apparel, jewelry, hair accessories, personal electronics, digital gadgets, and kitchenware products.
Dhanteras Rush: Gold and Silver Coin Deliveries
Earlier in the festive week, Dhanteras on 6 November triggered significant demand for gold and silver coins delivered via quick commerce. The platform logged its first gold coin purchase just 30 seconds after midnight (12:00:30 AM) from a customer in Hyderabad, who bought a 24-karat gold coin with a floral engraving. A mere four seconds later (12:00:34 AM), the first silver coin order was placed from Bengaluru. Approximately two-thirds of all gold coins purchased featured floral or rose motifs, while 73 percent of silver coins displayed images of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. Orders for precious metal coins hit their daily peak at 6:38 PM.
Record High Basket Values: Top Orders Across Cities
The single highest cart value recorded during the festive sales period was placed by a shopper in Mumbai, totaling Rs 1.11 lakh. This premium order contained gold coins featuring motifs of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, and lotus flowers. Other high-value orders were reported from major urban hubs: a Hyderabad buyer spent Rs 52,215 on a 2-gram floral gold coin and a 100-gram silver bar. In Gurugram, a customer placed an order worth Rs 30,855 for a 1-gram Lakshmi gold coin paired with children's lunch boxes, while a Delhi consumer spent Rs 29,907 on a 1-gram floral gold coin alongside decorative LED curtain lights.
