iWorld
Influence, inbox, impulse buy: Meta’s new-age retail mantra
MUMBAI: The good old kirana might still stand, but what’s driving shoppers to the shelf is now happening on screen. A new Meta-commissioned study by GWI has revealed just how deeply influencers, reels, and dms are reshaping retail habits across India.
According to the survey — conducted among 2,548 Indian internet users aged 16–64 — nearly eight in ten shoppers discover new products via social media, with a staggering 96 per cent of that discovery happening on Meta’s platforms, namely Facebook and Instagram.
“Indian shoppers today are social-first, mobile-first, and video-first irrespective of whether the purchase happens offline or online” said Meta India director, e-commerce & retail, Meghna Apparao, “With consumers increasingly relying on Reels, messaging, and influencer content to discover and evaluate products, offline retailers have an opportunity to reach their customers across multiple touch points simultaneously and harness the power of our platforms to build unique online and phygital experiences that also move metrics across the funnel.”
Even shoppers physically browsing aisles are scrolling first — using social media to discover, research, and decide, often before they even set foot in a store. Retail displays may still exist, but the real pitch now happens on feeds.
Short-form video is turning scrolls into sales. Around a third of users reported purchasing products they saw in 2–3 minute brand videos or reels, especially in premium and luxury categories, where visual storytelling has a strong influence.
Influencer clout continues to soar. Six in ten shoppers follow national influencers, whose opinions now weigh heavily on both what to buy and where to buy it from — online or offline. Their reach is no longer just virtual; it’s walking customers right into stores.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp is becoming the new storefront. Nearly 60 per cent of users said they are likely to purchase a product after seeing an offer on the messaging app — making it a silent but powerful sales channel.
In step with these shifts, Meta has launched new omnichannel advertising tools designed to bridge the digital-physical divide. These enable brands to not just chase clicks but track real-world impact — from boosted footfall to ringing tills.
Tanishq CMO Pelki Tshering said, “We’ve always believed in meeting our customers where they are — both online and offline. Meta’s solutions like Click to WhatsApp (CTWA) have helped us in that journey. By combining conversational commerce with tailored messaging, we’ve seen over 14x offline ROAS. What’s even more exciting is the potential of Meta’s omnichannel ads — allowing us to drive both online and in-store sales through a single, unified campaign. As one of the first to test the solution with offline CAPI, we’re seeing a 40% jump in ROAS for online purchases and an improvement in offline purchases. Meta’s retail solutions are helping us not just drive omni sales — but truly connect with our customers, wherever they are in their buying journey.”
Taneira head of marketing Aishwarya Omprakash, “In our pilot campaign utilising Meta’s omnichannel ads, we observed a significant boost in performance, achieving 3.5x higher purchase conversions and 4.3x higher Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) compared to campaigns optimized solely for purchases. This encouraging outcome reinforces the value of a multi-touchpoint strategy, and we’re excited to take this experiment further in the coming year.”
For Indian retailers, the message is clear: to win offline, think online first — especially if you’re not in the reel game yet.
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
