Even as online shopping has transformed the way India's consumers buy goods such as clothes and electronics, the shift is yet to be witnessed in how they shop for vegetables. Despite the growing use of quick-commerce platforms and the ease doorstep delivery, traditional shops continue to remain the preferred choice for many consumers.
Highlighting a gradual shift in household consumption behaviour, a report by SBI Research states that wider digital purchases are primarily concentrated in consumables and services, with a share of 39.68%, followed by durable goods at 23.3%, while purchases of food items remain comparatively limited.
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Grocery purchases witnessed highest digital adoption, with 4.29% share, reflecting greater acceptance of online platforms for routine food items. Among grocerries, served processed food and packed processed food have a higher share compared to fresh food categories. Online purchases remained limited for vegetables (1.32%), fresh fruits (1.0%), Dry fruits (0.62%) and egg, fish & meat (0.59%), indicating continued reliance on traditional retail channels for perishable items.
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Overall, 45.6% of Indian households reportedly use online payment methods to purchase at least one consumption item, indicating the growing penetration of digital transactions in household consumption. Nearly half of the Indian households , around 54.4% do not use digital payment methods.
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What Are Indians Buying The Most Online?
Services account for the largest share of online purchases, around 37.93%), followed by Fuel & Light at 15.96%. Medicine & Other medical services (1.69%) and Education (1.83%) have the lowest shares of online purchases.
The online adoption is relatively higher for clothing, accounting for 19.97% of sales, while footwear stood at 12.05%, indicating strong preference for digital platforms for personal-use durable items. Rest of the categories such as personal goods constituted 3.47% share, followed by bedding at 1.79%, highlighting a moderate online adoption. Digital purchases remain limited for high-value durable categories, including furniture at 0.18%, medical equipment at 0.32%, and recreational goods at 0.52%), suggesting continued preference for offline channels.
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