Brands
Accenture finds 82% consumers prefer companies with shared purpose
MUMBAI: Accenture released its fourteenth annual ‘Accenture Strategy Global Consumer Pulse Research’ report. The ‘From Me to We: The Rise of the Purpose-led Brand’ revealed that 82 per cent Indian consumers prefer to buy goods and services from companies that stand for a shared purpose that reflects their personal values and beliefs, and are ditching those that don’t, according to new research from Accenture. The report has been created after conducting a survey on nearly 30,000 consumers from around the world, including 660 Indian consumers, to gauge their expectations of brands and companies today.
Accenture India geographic unit and country senior managing director Anindya Basu said, “Technology and media have empowered consumers to take a stand on their opinions and beliefs, and this has had a profound impact on how they evaluate their brand associations. Price, product quality and customer experience continue to be important considerations but a brand’s purpose beyond profit has emerged as a clear differentiator.”
Basu added, “This shift in expectations from ‘give me what I want’ to ‘support the ideals we believe in’ provides brands the opportunity to create stronger and more resilient customer relationships which generate more sales and greater customer lifetime value.”
Other pointers highlighted by the report include that 81 per cent of Indian consumers want companies to take a stand on the social, cultural, environmental and political issues close to their hearts while 84 per cent say their purchasing decisions are influenced by the words, values and actions of a company’s leaders. Consumers are attracted to organisations that are committed to using good quality ingredients (84 per cent), treat employees well (70 per cent), and believe in reducing plastics and improving the environment (74 per cent).
Furthermore, 84 per cent crave greater transparency in how companies source their products, ensure safe working conditions and their stance on important issues such as animal testing. 84 per cent of consumers believe their individual protest actions, such as boycotting a company or speaking out on social media, can make a difference in how companies behave. Forty-eight percent have been disappointed by how a company acted which betrayed consumers’ belief in what the company stands for, and 59 per cent have stopped doing business with the company as a result.
Accenture Strategy managing director, customer insight and growth strategy Vineet R Ahuja said, “Understanding how to instill a sense of ‘brand belonging’ through a clear and relevant purpose is quickly becoming a prerequisite to stay relevant in today’s hyper-competitive world. To usher in the next era of engagement, companies need to focus on creating a community of loyal, engaged and valuable brand proponents. Involving customers, employees and the larger ecosystem of stakeholders to identify and shape shared values will be key.”
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
