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Google and YouTube influence 54% of unplanned festive purchases in India, finds Google-commissioned Ipsos study
Our read
Expect festive marketing budgets to tilt toward Google, YouTube and creators, but the sales gains will go to retailers that pair that discovery with fast delivery.
For operators
With 70% of festive purchases decided in the moment and 9 in 10 shoppers researching online first, make sure your products show up in search, creator content and visual tools like Google Lens, and back it with fast delivery, since 81% pick retailers on speed.
Watch
Festive-season ad-spend commentary from large advertisers or agencies pointing to more money on YouTube, search or creators
The report,
Google India's festive study found 70% of festive purchases are decided in the moment, though 9 in 10 consumers research extensively online. In addition, 51% of festive shoppers credited AI and 81% chose retailers based on delivery speed.
Channel facts
From the report. Source details below
| Average chatbot consultations per decision journey: | 7.5 |
|---|---|
| Festive buyers turning to creators for inspiration: | 73% |
| Shoppers using visual tools such as Google Lens: | 53% |
Signals to track
- Google announcing new shopping, AI or Lens features or retailer partnerships in India ahead of the festive peak
- Counter-studies from Meta, Amazon or Flipkart claiming a bigger share of festive purchase influence
- Retailers or quick-commerce players announcing faster-delivery guarantees or wider festive delivery coverage
- Post-festive sales results showing whether search- and video-led campaigns lifted unplanned purchases
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Google is likely to turn the study into festive-season pitches to advertisers, pushing YouTube, Google Lens and AI-led shopping formats as the route to unplanned purchases.
- Large brands and retailers are likely to put more festive budget into creator content and visual and AI-assisted search, since 73% of shoppers turn to creators and 53% use tools such as Google Lens.
- Marketplaces and quick-commerce platforms may highlight delivery-speed promises in their festive campaigns, given that 81% of shoppers pick retailers on delivery speed.
- Rival ad platforms such as Meta and the marketplaces' own retail-media arms may publish counter-research claiming a larger role in festive discovery.
- Retailers are likely to ask Google and agencies for cross-channel measurement that ties YouTube and search exposure to in-store and online sales before committing to larger budgets.
The counter-case
The case against this reading — not reported by the source.
This is a Google-commissioned study that reports Google's own influence, so the headline is closer to marketing than independent evidence. 'Influences' is a self-reported, multi-select attribution, not proof that a search or video caused a sale. Shoppers who buy online will almost always have touched Google or YouTube somewhere, so 54% may reflect how widely these platforms are used rather than how much they sway decisions. The figures also pull against each other. If 70% of purchases are decided in the moment, it is hard to square that with 9 in 10 shoppers researching extensively first. Either 'unplanned' means something narrow, or the research is shallow and quick. The softer figures are vague. '51% credit AI' does not say whether AI changed a decision or simply appeared in a search result. The 81% who 'pick retailers on delivery speed' is a stated preference, and real behaviour often favours price, trust and habit. Finally, the findings are about digital discovery. They do not show omni-channel integration between stores and online, so the 'omni-channel' label is a stretch.