Chandigarh, February 25 Artificial intelligence (AI), short-form video, content creators, and messaging platforms are transforming India's retail landscape and accelerating omnichannel shopping, according to a report by Meta and the Retailers Association of India (RAI).
The report stated that 77% of retail brand and product discovery now happens on social media, with Meta platforms accounting for 96% of such discovery. According to the findings, consumers who shop across online and offline channels spend 2.5 times more than single-channel shoppers, and up to 73% more when engaging across multiple touchpoints.
The report noted a shift from search-based shopping to scroll-led discovery, with 97% of consumers watching short-form videos daily. Nearly 60% of the time spent on Facebook and Instagram is now on video content.
Meghna Apparao, Director, E-Commerce and Retail (India), Meta, said retail leaders should focus on leveraging Reels and content creators for engagement, adopting omnichannel performance marketing, and using WhatsApp as a personalized commerce channel.
The report highlighted that more than half of Indian consumers research products online before purchasing in-store, while a similar proportion researches in-store before buying online, reflecting growing "phygital" shopping behaviour.
The report also underlined the growing role of WhatsApp in commerce, stating that 72% of product discovery now takes place on the messaging platform.