The festive season is more than just a religious or cultural celebration, it is the single biggest consumption wave of the year, when purchase intent peaks across categories. For brands, this period represents a crucial time to engage audiences who are not only willing to spend but are actively seeking festive deals, offers and new launches. As the leading print media house in the country, The Times of India ensures that in this critical period, brands are ready and equipped with the latest insights into festive shopping behaviour*.
Times Wishlist, a flagship festive initiative by The Times of India (TOI) is back as a part of its Great Indian Festive Times (GIFT) celebration.
By asking readers of TOI publications, questions about their festive buying habits using an online survey, supported by insights from a research partner, the campaign collected data from over 11,000 readers across 21 cities and converted them into sharp insights to help brands make informed decisions during this crucial period of the year. The festive sentiment is high with TOI readers set to spend an average of ₹1.16 lakh this season on shopping (excluding high-ticket categories like jewellery, cars, and homes).
Key findings from the study highlight how the festive season is shaping up to be a promising one:
• Smartphones top the Wishlist: 39% of readers plan to buy a smartphone, followed by 20% jewellery and 17% laptops.
• Family-centric shopping: 95% of readers shop not just for themselves but also for family, spending an average of ₹52,000 on festive gifts, a 49% jump over last year.
• Offline shopping is still a big part of festive: Despite the rise of quick commerce and apps, 91% of readers shop offline (with part of them shopping online as well), with malls and branded outlets being the most preferred destinations.
• Newspaper drives discovery: 76% of readers rely on newspaper ads for festive offers which is over 1.5X more than digital ads and social media, underlining the medium’s unmatched role in influencing festive purchase decisions.
• Occasions matter: Diwali remains the top shopping festival (51% shop for it), followed by mega e-commerce sales, which attract 28% of readers.
The Wishlist spans across categories, from consumer durables (TVs, refrigerators, ACs, washing machines) to high involvement spends such as cars and real estate, technology, travel and more. Across these categories the report highlights most popular brands among the readers, spending, demographic distribution and platforms for shopping, giving a holistic view of how TOI readers shop for each.
Speaking on the findings, Surinder Chawla, President – Response, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. said: “Times Wishlist 2025 reaffirms that the festive season continues to be the biggest shopping phenomenon in India, and the most crucial to decipher. With our most detailed survey and findings yet, Times Wishlist highlights not only what categories consumers want to shop for and which are their favourite brands, but also where and how they intend to shop. We are sure brands would find these insights helpful and make the most of this festive season.”
Armed with data to support their festive decisions, brands can amplify the festive cheer this year for their consumers and GIFT them a memorable season of festivities.
*Survey and data collection conducted in August 2025.