80% of Indian shoppers discover products via social media: Report

Meta has released findings from a new study highlighting how social media platforms are playing a growing role in shaping consumer behaviour and purchase decisions in India’s retail sector. The study, conducted by GWI and commissioned by Meta, surveyed 2,548 internet users aged 16 to 64 across the country.

The research suggests that a large majority of Indian shoppers are turning to digital platforms to discover products, even when purchases are made offline. According to the findings, nearly 80% of respondents said they discover new products through social media, with 96% of those interactions occurring on Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

“Indian shoppers today are social-first, mobile-first, and video-first irrespective of whether the purchase happens offline or online,” said Meghna Apparao, Director, E-commerce and Retail at Meta in India. “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.”

Short-form video content has emerged as a particularly influential medium, with two-to-three-minute brand videos and Reels proving effective in encouraging purchases. Nearly one-third of viewers reported buying products featured in such videos, a trend especially visible in luxury retail segments.

Influencer marketing continues to gain traction, with the study indicating that six in ten shoppers follow national-level influencers. These content creators are said to drive consumer decisions both online and in-store, suggesting a cross-channel impact of influencer endorsements.

Meta’s messaging platform, WhatsApp, has also been identified as a key part of the consumer purchase journey. Around 60% of users reported they are likely to make a purchase after receiving an offer on WhatsApp.

In response to these shifts, Meta has introduced new omnichannel advertising tools designed to connect online interactions with offline outcomes. These tools aim to help brands link digital engagement to metrics such as store visits and in-store sales.

Jewellery brand Tanishq and ethnic wear label Taneira were among the early testers of these advertising tools.

“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,” said Pelki Tshering, Chief Marketing Officer, Tanishq.

Aishwarya Omprakash, Head of Marketing at Taneira, added: “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.”

The study underlines the increasing integration of digital tools into the broader retail experience, reflecting evolving consumer expectations and shopping behaviours.