MAM
YouTube helps 83.3% Indians to discover new brands: Criteo Research
MUMBAI: The online shopping market in India holds tremendous potential as it has some of the largest consumer segments across each e-commerce category, and it is focused on innovation, research and development, making it one of the leading e-commerce markets in the world. Advertising and technological advancements have led to better personalised experiences as it allows the communication of hyper-personalised messages that resonate with the target customer. In light of this, Criteo, the advertising platform for the open Internet, unveiled the survey report titled ‘Why We Buy’. The survey was conducted across 10 countries, with over 10,000 respondents split almost evenly over all countries. The report in respect of India highlights that 90 per cent of Indian consumers are willing to consider a new brand across all the shopping/product categories, which is the highest compared with consumers from the other countries surveyed.
The report for India also throws light on various aspects such as brand values; more than one in four shoppers said they stopped shopping with a brand whose values weren’t aligned with their personal beliefs. Loyalty depends on more than just low prices- while respondents in the study did appreciate value for money, customer service was the most important consideration, followed by product selection and what the brand stands for. The report also gave us insights into how consumers discover brands, with omnichannel discovery on YouTube, Facebook and websites as the top channels – but they were far from being the only source. Relevance makes a difference: 66 per cent of Indians like that online ads can help them in discovering new products, while 57 per cent like online ads for reminding them of products they’re interested in, and 51 per cent like that online ads offer discounts for products.
Sharing his thoughts on the outcomes from the report, Criteo India managing director Siddharth Dabhade said, “It has been phenomenal to witness the Indian consumer behaviour and we are glad to share this on a larger platform for the benefit of the Indian advertising industry which has evolved from being a small-scaled business to a full-fledged industry. It has been phenomenal to witness the advancements of technological innovation in advertising over the years. The shift of ad spending from traditional to digital media is happening at a rapid pace. The advertising and marketing sector in India is expected to enjoy a good run. Growth is expected in retail advertisement, on the back of factors such as several players entering the food and beverages segment, e-commerce gaining more popularity in the country, and domestic companies testing out the waters.”
Other key insights revealed that 49.4 per cent of Indian survey participants stopped shopping from a brand that they were loyal to before because of poor customer service; 83.3 per cent said YouTube helps them most to discover new brands; 60.9 per cent would try a new brand for the first time because it provides a discount that is personalized and relevant, and this also appears to be the best way to gain customer loyalty; 44.4 per cent strongly agree that their purchasing decision is affected by a company’s mission/values; customer service is still key as it is the main reason for remaining with a brand (62.3 per cent), or for leaving if customer service is poor (49.4 per cent); consumers are least loyal to Groceries brands, and are most loyal to Jewelry & Luxury Goods.
Brands
Jubilant FoodWorks faces Rs 47.5 crore GST demand, plans appeal
Tax authorities flag alleged misclassification of restaurant services
MUMBAI:Â Jubilant FoodWorks Limited has landed in a tax tussle after receiving a GST demand of Rs 47.5 crore from the office of the additional commissioner of CGST and central excise in Thane, Maharashtra.
The order, issued under the provisions of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, relates to an alleged incorrect classification of certain services under the category of restaurant services. According to the tax authorities, this classification resulted in a short payment of goods and services tax for the period between the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
The demand includes Rs 47.5 crore in GST along with an equal amount as penalty, in addition to applicable interest. The order was received by the company on March 13, 2026.
In a regulatory filing to the BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, the company said it disagrees with the order and believes its arguments were not adequately considered.
The company is preparing to challenge the decision and plans to file an appeal. It added that once the redressal process is complete, the demand is likely to be dropped.
Despite the sizeable figure attached to the notice, the company said it does not expect any material impact on its financials, operations or other activities.
The disclosure was signed by Suman Hegde, EVP and chief financial officer, who confirmed that the company received the order at 19:06 IST on March 13 and has already initiated steps to contest it.
The development places the quick service restaurant major in the middle of a tax debate that could hinge on how certain restaurant-linked services are classified under GST rules. For now, the company appears ready to take the matter from the tax office to the appeals desk.
