Instamart sees 45x surge in Akshaya Tritiya demand

MUMBAI: From adding to cart to adding to culture, festive gold buying just got a same-day delivery upgrade. Instamart reported a sharp spike in demand on Akshaya Tritiya, with overall orders surging 45x on April 19 as shoppers turned to quick commerce for everything from gold coins to groceries. The biggest sparkle came from gold, which saw a 49x jump in demand, while silver followed with a 24x increase. Smaller denominations dominated gold purchases, with 1g, 2g and 0.5g coins emerging as the most popular picks suggesting that affordability continues to shape festive buying as much as tradition.

Silver, however, played a different game. Larger ticket sizes led the charge, with 10g, 5g and 20g bars topping the charts. In one standout order from Bengaluru, a single shopper added Rs 1.65 lakh worth of silver bars to their cart in one go, underlining how the metal is increasingly being seen as both a gifting and investment option.

Adding a strategic twist to the gold rush, Instamart introduced a Price Lock feature that allowed users to secure pre-festive gold rates between April 10 and April 16, with redemption on April 19 at the lower of the locked or prevailing market price. Nearly 40 per cent of total demand came from these pre-booked orders, indicating a growing appetite for price-sensitive, tech-enabled buying.

Perhaps the most telling trend, however, lay in what else went into the cart. The largest order of the weekend worth Rs 1,99,917 combined Rs 1.65 lakh in silver bars and Rs 31,800 in gold coins with everyday items such as soft drinks, ice cubes, Alphonso mangoes, a water dispenser and even a smartwatch. The modern festive basket, it seems, is no longer confined to jewellery counters.

Metro cities led the charge, with Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Noida driving the bulk of demand highlighting how urban India is increasingly blending tradition with convenience.

As quick commerce platforms continue to expand beyond essentials, Akshaya Tritiya offered a glimpse of the future: where buying gold is no longer a planned outing, but just another tap away.