Stories
Festive 2026: 73% Shop Online as AI and Multi-Screen Discovery Reshape Purchase Paths
- •India's festive shopping journey is increasingly non-linear, with consumers discovering products across multiple screens and utilizing AI for research and purchase decisions.
- •The InMobi study reveals 90% of Indians notice festive ads on social media, and 75% discover products via app notifications, with attention spread across connected and ambient screens like idle TVs and lock screens.
- •Despite fragmented discovery, 73% of festive shoppers make their final purchase online, with 58% researching and buying online, and 15% researching in-store before buying online.
- •AI plays a growing role, with 89% interested in smart search suggestions and 81% in virtual try-ons; 80% desire an AI shopping assistant for the festive season.
- •Consumers show high interest in personalized smart TV ads with virtual try-on, indicating a shift towards AI-powered, multi-screen experiences for seamless discovery to decision-making.
Key Questions Answered
According to InMobi’s Festive Season 2026 report, 73% of festive shoppers make their final purchase online, regardless of how they navigate through earlier stages of their shopping journey. This includes both consumers who research and buy online as well as those who visit physical stores just for initial research before completing the purchase digitally.
Smart search suggestions emerged as the top AI feature consumers want to try at 89%, followed closely by virtual product try-ons and complete-the-look suggestions at 81% each. Additionally, 75% expressed interest in AI-based recommendations, and 73% showed interest in voice search or chat assistants.
Fashion brand The Bear House achieved a 50% reduction in website bounce rates, a 2.5x increase in add-to-carts, and a 5x increase in overall conversions after introducing an AI-enabled virtual try-on experience on their site.
