Gen Z Diwali shopping: 71% plan to buy a phone, friends' advice comes first

Young Indians are planning their Diwali shopping as a group activity, checking with friends and family before they spend, according to a study by the social media company Snap Inc., which runs Snapchat, and the market research firm GWI, reported in the first half of October 2026. The research, based on a survey of 1,008 Gen Z internet users in India, found that 71% were buying or expecting to buy a smartphone for Diwali, 68% were buying or planning to buy clothes, and 61% mainly used quick commerce apps to buy festive essentials for their households. More than half said they ask friends or family for advice before buying technology.

Diwali, which falls on November 8 this year, is India's biggest shopping season, and Gen Z is a growing share of the buyers. The study suggests that for young people the festival is not one shopping trip but a season of several celebrations, and that their choices are rarely made alone. Seventy per cent of those surveyed said the festive season is made up of multiple celebrations, and nearly four in ten begin planning Diwali purchases more than a month ahead.

The most striking finding is how much the inner circle matters. Before spending on a phone, a young buyer is likely to have asked a friend, a sibling or a parent. Before buying a skincare product, many have tried a friend's first. Creator videos help young people discover products, but the final decision tends to be checked with people they know. For young readers, that is a reminder that the most useful advice often comes from someone who has already used the product, not from an advertisement.

The heavy use of quick commerce, the fast-delivery apps now common in Indian cities, also shows how Gen Z is changing household routines. With 61% saying they mainly buy festive essentials for their family or household this way, young people are taking on part of the household's festival shopping, and doing it on their phones.

The findings come with a caution. The research was commissioned by a social media company that sells advertising to brands trying to reach young shoppers, and the figures have not been independently checked. They describe what a sample of young internet users told researchers, not what all young Indians do.

Short-term: In the three weeks before Diwali, expect young buyers to lean on group chats, family advice and fast delivery apps. Brands are likely to target them through creators and recommendations shared between friends.

Long-term: If shopping keeps moving to recommendation circles and quick commerce, traditional advertising may matter less for this age group, while trust between friends matters more. Young consumers who plan ahead and compare options are better placed to avoid impulse spending in a high-pressure sales season.

Who is affected: Young Indians in their teens and twenties, their families, phone and fashion sellers, quick commerce platforms, and brands that market to Gen Z.

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