What Indian Shoppers Want in 2025: Speed, Simplicity, and No Nonsense

It’s nearly midnight in Mumbai. Richa, 27, is scrolling through Reels, half-watching skincare reviews, half-hunting for a dress she saw earlier in the day. One tap takes her to a product page. She finds her size, the colour’s in stock. But then, Rs 150 for delivery and a seven-day wait.

She hesitates, sighs, and shuts the tab.

“I can’t explain it,” she says, “but if it’s not fast and free, I’m out. There’s always something else.”

Richa isn’t an exception. She’s the new normal. According to DHL’s 2025 E‑Commerce Trends Report, India is home to some of the world’s most active online buyers, with 41 per cent shopping at least once a week. But that frequency comes with high standards, particularly around convenience, flexibility and trust.

 Delivery Speed and Free Shipping Are Deal-Makers

For all the fanfare around digital payments and flash sales, it’s still the delivery line that seals the deal or kills it. In India,76 per cent of shoppers prefer home delivery. But that’s just the start. 58 per cent say they’ve abandoned a cart when delivery wasn’t free, and 81 per cent will exit immediately if their preferred delivery method isn’t offered.

The same instinct applies to returns.79 per cent of Indian consumers say they won’t complete a purchase if the return policy doesn’t suit them. The margin for error is razor-thin.

Shoppers are choosing experiences, not just items. If delivery isn’t fast, if returns aren’t effortless, the loyalty dissolves. There's no emotional commitment to a product that's hard to receive or harder to send back.

Easy Returns Drive Purchase Confidence

In the past, returning an item often felt like a hassle reserved for outliers. In 2025, it’s built into the buying decision. 83 per cent of Indian shoppers have returned an online purchase. But trust in the process? That’s another story, only 58 per cent say they trust the returns provider.

Ease of return is the new luxury. 28 per cent now prefer label-free, QR-based returns, a quiet shift toward convenience that’s defining how Gen Z and Millennials evaluate brands.

These aren’t just logistics; they’re signals. A clunky return policy reads as a red flag, not an afterthought.

Checkout Must Be Fast and Flexible

India’s embrace of digital payments is among the most enthusiastic globally, with 72 per cent preferring digital wallets. At the same time, cash on delivery remains surprisingly resilient, used by 54 per cent of online shoppers.

The takeaway? Indian shoppers want choice. Not just innovation, but inclusion. The newer doesn’t always replace the older; it coexists. And while Buy Now, Pay Later services grow in other markets, Indian shoppers still navigate checkout with a sense of cautious control.

In the eyes of many, paying should feel as seamless as scrolling.

Indian Shoppers Demand Sustainable Ecommerce

Here’s where Indian shoppers set themselves apart. 92 per cent say sustainability is importantwhen shopping online, one of the highest figures globally. 68 per cent say they buy sustainably-sourced products at least once a month.

But it’s not just about what they buy, it’s about how they buy. Over half would use a retailer’s recycling or buy-back programme if offered. 53 per cent want sustainable packaging. And nearly half say they’d only buy from retailers who use sustainable delivery and returns services.

For many, it’s not about saving the planet in one purchase. It’s about aligning small decisions with bigger values. The product might be a shampoo bottle, but the real question is: who delivered it, and how?

Social Media Is India’s New Shopping Mall

In India, the line between browsing and buying has almost vanished. 66 per cent of shoppers have made a purchase directly through social media. Instagram and Facebook dominate, but what matters more than the platform is the pace.

What used to be a discovery tool has become a direct path to checkout. Shoppers are buying through Reels, tapping through Stories, and trusting product tags more than websites. But that trust is fragile. One extra charge, one complicated return, one delayed dispatch, and it’s over.

If the product is irresistible but the process isn’t, it stays in the cart or disappears altogether.

The Real Cost of Inconvenience Is Abandonment

The modern Indian shopper isn’t fickle; they’re focused. They know how the system should work. If it doesn’t, they move on. And with marketplaces, D2C brands, and social shops all fighting for screen time, there’s no shortage of alternatives.

Richa says she’s lost count of how many carts she’s abandoned. “I shop online like I date,” she laughs. “If there’s too much drama, I block and move on.”

In a world where every purchase is one tap away, brands don’t just have to be better. They have to be frictionless.