Global events like Black Friday are reshaping India’s festive shopping behaviour: Report

India’s festive season is stretching into a five-month shopping period from August to the New Year, as global retail events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday gain ground among Indian consumers and brands. Meta said the shift is being driven by rising interest in deals, limited-time offers and changing discovery habits across platforms.

A Meta-commissioned report by Alvarez & Marsal India found that 52% of Indian startups are expanding internationally to tap global demand for Indian products, leading to 25% higher margins in key export markets. Another study by Kantar showed that nearly half of surveyed shoppers made a cross-border purchase in the past six months, with more than a third citing personalised ads on Meta platforms as a key driver.

The company noted that shoppers are no longer waiting for a single festival to look for discounts, pointing to a “longer festive mindset,” the growing appeal of global cultural moments, and the influence of quick-commerce platforms that have reshaped expectations around convenience.

Arun Srinivas, Managing Director and Country Head for Meta in India, said, “Indian shoppers are heading into the festive season with a laser focus on value,  actively hunting for the best deals, exclusive offers, and immersive shopping experiences. Global shopping moments like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are rapidly reshaping shopping trends in India, transforming these events into major opportunities for brands to connect with customers nationwide and internationally.”

Nitin Verma, Founder and CEO of InstaAstro, said, “This Black Friday, we want to give personalised offers to our users which are backed by data and also show a seamless journey across Meta ads and apps, especially WhatsApp. With the help of Meta, we are able to reach and identify high-intent users across the globe.”

Vatsal Rajgor, Co-Founder of Digimaze & Strique AI, added, “With the right strategy in terms of optimisation for your funnel and creative testing, we understood that our clients could multiply their revenue during these three to four days of the Black Friday sale. Meta, as a platform, exactly knows where the shoppers are and what kind of shopping behaviour they demonstrate, and what time of the day the ad needs to reach them. This makes Black Friday the best time to scale your brand and your business on Meta.”

Meta’s 2025 Holiday Guide reported that 58% of shoppers say its platforms influence purchase decisions, and 79% of those who discover products on Meta eventually buy them. Two in five holiday purchases are influenced by interactions with AI-powered tools and assistants.

As global festive culture blends with domestic behaviour, the ‘Cyber 5’ window, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Sunday and Cyber Monday, is becoming more prominent in India. Some brands are using remarketing to reach existing customers.

Kausshal Dugarr, Founder and CEO of Teabox, said, “In addition to A+SC for prospecting, we are also running re-marketing campaigns for our customer list so that they also know about the opportunities or discounts which we are running at this point in time.” 

The company said several factors are driving the shift: an extended celebratory period, increased appetite for discounts, greater brand efforts to create multiple engagement moments, and rising influence of global shopping trends.

To support businesses during Cyber 5 and the broader festive season, the company highlighted products designed for performance and discovery, including Moment Maker, Storybuilder, Surround Sound, Click to WhatsApp ads, Collaborative Ads, Reminder Ads, Advantage+ automation and Partnership Ads.

The company said it aims to help brands reach high-intent shoppers, improve cross-border visibility and convert demand during what has become one of the busiest shopping periods for Indian consumers.