MAM
Kantar IMRB & Payback launch ‘shopper barometer’
MUMBAI: Kantar IMRB and Payback have published a comprehensive report named Shopper Barometer that monitors the shoppers’ perceptions of the economy and their financial well-being that impacts their buying decisions. This is the first study to track sentiments among consumers thus providing a real-time view of validated spends and thereby create robust models to predict future spends.
* Lower middle social classes (SEC B/C) i.e. petty traders, small shop keepers etc. showing signs of financial distress
* Weakening of spend appetite in IT and Start-up hubs i.e. Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad while traditional manufacturing and trade hubs such as Mumbai and Chennai are more buoyant
* Eating Out resilient even among those who have reduced spending overall
* Fashion and Telecom to showing upward momentum despite above average change in relevant category CPI for urban markets
* Contrary to expectations, the consumer market for Automotive is likely to be subdued this summer.
Talking about the study, Kantar Shopper EVP Sushmita Balasubramaniam said, “Shopper sentiments are down but not out – the financial strain is more likely a response to the current economic environment rather than lack of cash or affordability. It is evident that they are prioritizing what they choose to spend on – some categories like fashion, dining out have shown an increase in spends. The sentiments also vary by cities; those which have a population less dependent on IT & IT enabled services are more buoyant. A Shopper Index is a valuable tool for marketers & retailers, especially since it provides inputs into category spends apart from the overall shopper sentiment. This can input into crafting strategies that will either ride the wave or address shopper concerns for specific categories.”
Kantar IMRB’s Shopper Barometer surveys Payback’s (India’s largest Loyalty program) customers on two key areas i.e. spends and the disposition to spend – overall and by key categories. The study gives a complete read of the trendsetter urban markets and the consuming classes.
Commenting on the study, Payback India VP and head of partner management Rijish Raghavan said, “Payback network spans over 50+ brands, primarily leaders across each of the consumer spend categories and more than 60 million members engaging across this network. This places us in a unique position to access and develop high level intelligence and insights on consumer behaviour and buying patterns. This partnership and recent study with Kantar is another step in this process to leverage the understanding of our network of consumers to create actionable insights for retailers across the country around consumer sentiments and spend patterns by understanding the pulse of the consumer. This study will enable marketers to develop strategies around personalised experiences and engagement customised to specific service categories and consumer choices.”
Currently, the Shopper Barometer covers a strong panel of 1200 Payback customers drawn from the Upper to Middle Social Classes (SEC ABC) in the 8 leading metros of the country – Mumbai, Delhi- NCR, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune.
“Both Kantar IMRB and Payback track consumer spending across a large basket of categories. We have come together to combine our data strengths to create a bell weather indicator of Shopper Sentiments validated by spending patterns,” said Kantar IMRB senior ED – data alliance Puneet Avasthi.
The study has been envisaged as a track with multiple waves over a period. The recently conducted first wave provides a good read on the Shopper sentiments post budget as a baseline. A follow-up wave is proposed later this year, to read shopper mood once GST starts settling in as also factors such as Monsoon etc.
MAM
Sleepwell unveils nationwide sleep study on World Sleep Day
79 per cent use screens before bed, 36 per cent of 18–25-year-olds sleep ≤5 hours.
MUMBAI: Sleepwell just dropped the pillow truth bomb because when India’s sleeping less and scrolling more, even the mattress wants to stage an intervention. On World Sleep Day 2026, Sleepwell released its nationwide Sleep Study, painting a stark picture of India’s escalating sleep crisis. The findings show that 79% of Indians use screens right before bed, fuelling restless nights and drowsy days. Alarmingly, 36% of young adults aged 18–25 sleep five hours or less making them the country’s most sleep-deprived group.
The study also busts the myth of “catch-up sleep”, 65% of respondents actually sleep even later on weekends, pointing to increasingly irregular patterns that spill fatigue into the working week. Mattress discomfort emerged as a frequently overlooked culprit behind late-night wake-ups and constant leak-anxiety checks.
To drive the message home, Sleepwell’s CMO Puneet Gulati appeared on Zee Business, stressing that quality sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s foundational health. He highlighted how the right mattress can transform restless nights into restorative ones.
The brand doubled down with clever late-night activations, partnering with a quick-commerce platform to serve contextual ads between 11 pm and 3 am, gently nudging bleary-eyed scrollers to consider mattress discomfort as the reason they’re still awake and pointing them to the nearest Sleepwell store. Digital influencers and creators also shared relatable stories of how poor sleep fuels impulsive late-night behaviour.
In a nation that celebrates hustle but quietly pays for it in lost rest, Sleepwell isn’t just selling mattresses, it’s selling the radical idea that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is close your eyes and actually sleep well.
