Only 12.2% Plan Festive Buys. Brands Can Win Late

India’s festive season is not only a spending spike. It is a decision window. A September 2026 survey of more than 1,000 consumers by BigCity Promotions’ customer service team reveals something useful for brand managers: the intent to spend is broad, but the purchase decision is largely undecided.

Stated intent is not actual behaviour, so read these patterns as directional. Still, the direction is clear enough to act on.

Demand is high; planning is low

Some 91.6% of respondents expect to spend the same or more than last year. Yet only 12.2% say their festive purchases are planned in advance. The gap between those two numbers is the real battleground. Most shoppers are still comparing products, weighing offers and deciding whether to add or upgrade at the point of purchase.

That means the final days, the product page and the checkout are not fulfilment stages. They are persuasion stages.

The offer is a decision tool

40.3% say the right offer could encourage them to spend more or upgrade. But not all offers work the same way. A striking 73.2% prefer a guaranteed reward to a chance at a bigger but uncertain prize. This is the certainty effect: when the outcome feels sure, the mental cost of taking an action falls.

That does not make big-ticket prizes useless. They can create excitement and participation. But assured rewards give shoppers confidence in the value they will actually receive. The choice should follow the behaviour a brand wants to drive.

Reward preferences are more varied than a discount war:

• 54.7% prefer cashback and rebates
• 16.7% want family and children’s benefits
• 13.3% prefer health and wellness rewards
• 9.1% want local dining, travel and experience rewards

Cashback leads, but the minority that wants everyday lifestyle value is large enough to matter. A festive offer that only shaves price can miss the chance to connect with identity and aspiration.

Consent is a ladder, not a switch

46.8% of respondents are comfortable sharing basic contact information. Willingness is likely to fall if brands demand too much too fast. The lesson: collect first-party data in steps, and make each step feel relevant.

After the sale, the door is unusually open. Around 92% of respondents are willing to let brands stay in touch. That is a significant opening for turning a festive transaction into a longer customer relationship. But permission is not affection. Follow-up must offer useful information, relevant offers, loyalty value or service—not simply a higher volume of messages.

Pick one action, not just participation

The survey points to a shift in how festive campaigns should be judged. Engagement is a mechanism, not a final objective. The real outcomes are purchase, higher spend, data sharing, repeat engagement and retention. The strongest festive work is built around one clearly defined consumer action, with the offer, reward, data ask and post-purchase communication each serving that action.

Festive spending is seasonal. The relationship it can begin does not have to be.

Source: ET Edge Insights