iWorld
Online Shopping Has Become Mainstream: Zee5 Intelligence Monitor
Mumbai: The Indian e-commerce industry’s growth has accelerated over the past few years and emerged among the largest online shopping geos in the world, thanks to the penetration of smartphones and the Internet. And, the series of lockdowns has further fueled its growth. ‘Zee5 Intelligence Monitor- E-commerce Report Consumer Insights & Trends’ aims to comprehend this changing phenomenon of the e-commerce industry and analyse where the industry is heading.
The report, based on a consumer survey by Zee5 in over 146 cities, dives deep into consumer insights and tracks the changes in consumption patterns and consumer attitudes in India. Let’s look at the report’s findings to understand expected and asynchronous trends of the e-commerce industry.
Online Shopping Has Become A Mainstream Trend
The survey found that 95 per cent of the respondents shop online and use more than one e-commerce platform to meet their shopping needs. The respondents include many shoppers who made their first online purchase during the lockdown. Further, the report also unearthed that 60 per cent of respondents have more than three apps, and 25 per cent use more than five e-commerce apps regularly.
The figures reflect that e-commerce, which used to be one of many purchasing options in the pre-pandemic world, has now become mainstream. Note that the respondents include people from Tier I and Tier II and III cities. Lockdown served as an excellent opportunity for consumers to explore online shopping.
Now, the figures of the Zee5 survey clearly show that while this shift was initially triggered due to limitation of movement, people started liking the convenience and ease of online shopping.
Uptick In Frequency Of Online Purchases
The untimely lockdown also marked an uptick in the frequency of online shopping. According to the report, while shopping online was an irregular trend before the lockdown, people now make frequent online purchases, with a whopping 60 per cent of users shopping online at least twice a month and 20 per cent at least five times a month.
People over The Age Of 35 Started Spending More On E-commerce
What makes the data more interesting is that online shopping, which used to be a Gen Z thing, has significantly become popular even among Gen Y, including people over the age of 35. If we speak of numbers, 55 per cent of Gen Y users spent over 20 per cent more on online shopping since the first lockdown. A critical reason behind this notable growth is the dissolution of the barriers between online and offline shopping.
Male Shoppers Leading E-Commerce Race Over Females
It is a common belief that women are key drivers of e-commerce growth, but the survey revealed that it is presently the male shoppers who are currently leading the race.
As per the findings, 22 per cent of the male consumers made more than five online purchases against 14 per cent of female shoppers. The asymmetry of mobile users among men and women in Tier II and Tier III markets could be a significant reason for this demographic shift in e-commerce sales. Another factor could be increased use of social media, which exposes men to the latest fashion and lifestyle trends, resulting in e-commerce purchases. This shift opens a massive opportunity for brands dealing mainly with men’s products.
E-commerce Window Shopping: Mood Upliftment
As lockdown restricted people from going out and having fun, they found new ways to engage themselves. While some of them revisited their old hobbies, others found new pastimes. Interestingly, online window shopping emerged as a favorite activity for many people. The Zee5 report suggested that 25 per cent of their respondents consider online shopping to enhance their mood. Online platforms offer an unprecedented level of product discovery and a shift in perception of e-commerce from ‘need fulfillment’ to ‘mood upliftment’.
OTT Shows Have Emerged As A Platform For Fashion Discovery
Ever since the first lockdown was imposed, people unknowingly started spending more time online. Since everyone in the family was locked inside their homes, OTT content consumption recorded enormous growth. Interestingly, as an offshoot of increased consumption, OTT shows emerged as a platform for fashion discovery among consumers. Reportedly, 87 per cent of users look forward to discovering fashion and lifestyle products in the shows they watch online. This is not it; even 75 per cent of people are likely to buy similar products and clothes that their favorite actors use or wear. And, naturally OTT platforms have become a platform of choice for all ecommerce advertisers.
People Conduct Online Purchase After Checking Products In-Store
The report discovered that 70 per cent of male users do online shopping after checking the same products in-store. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that now consumers don’t differentiate online and offline and make purchases based on their preference. Brands must invest in hybrid and omnichannel models that will allow them to cater to their customers wherever they choose to be. As the lockdown eases with time, we can look forward to an integrated market where e-commerce will most likely complement the offline market.
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
