Swiggy Instamart’s fifth annual report, “How India Instamarted 2025,” paints a vivid picture of quick commerce’s transformation from grocery top-ups to a daily lifeline for everything from doodh-dahi to diamond-level splurges. Released December 22, the analysis of millions of orders across 128+ cities reveals Bengaluru’s tipping king shelling out ₹68,600 to delivery partners—the highest single-user total nationally—while Chennai users collectively tipped ₹59,505, underscoring evolving consumer generosity amid surging order values.
Bengaluru’s Tipping Titan Leads the Pack
A Bengaluru user emerged as India’s most generous Instamart customer, cumulatively tipping ₹68,600 across 2025 deliveries. This outpaced Chennai’s group effort of ₹59,505, with other metros trailing. The report notes tipping’s rise as quick commerce embeds in routines—Bengaluru cemented its “tipping capital” status, reflecting higher per-order spends (up ~20% YoY) and cultural shifts toward rewarding speed amid traffic woes.
Wild High-Value Orders Redefine Quick Commerce
Instamart transcended staples in 2025, handling extravagant carts that blur grocery and gadget lines:
- Hyderabad’s iPhone Haul: One user dropped ₹4.3 lakh on three iPhone 17s in a single transaction—quick commerce’s priciest gadget grab.
- Chennai’s Condom Cartel: A user placed 228 orders totaling ₹1.06 lakh on condoms (1 in 127 orders platform-wide; September spiked 24%). Discreet health buys normalized, with one account hitting ₹1 lakh+.
- Pet Pamperer: Chennai spent ₹2.41 lakh on pet supplies.
- Tech Splurge: Noida user blew ₹2.69 lakh on Bluetooth speakers, SSDs and robot vacuums.
- Top Spender: Cumulative ₹22 lakh+ across 22 iPhone 17s, gold coins, air fryers and mints.
Contrast: Bengaluru’s tiniest cart was ₹10 for a printout. Gold surged 400% on Dhanteras; Valentine’s saw 666 roses/minute.
Everyday Staples Dominate Volumes
Milk flowed at 4+ packets/second; paneer outsold cheese. Late-night munchies crowned masala potato chips king (9/10 top cities). Repeats ruled: Kochi’s curry leaf fanatic ordered 368 times; staples like dahi, eggs, bananas, butter fueled loyalty. Mondays emerged as gifting peak.
Quick Commerce’s 2025 Evolution
Instamart’s data signals maturation:
- High-Ticket Normalization: Electronics/gold join groceries; AOV up 20-25%.
- Tier-II Surge: Emerging cities drive volume growth.
- Category Boom: Non-grocery (pets, health, gadgets) up 3x; condoms/health normalized.
- Festive Fireworks: Dhanteras gold +400%; Valentine’s roses frenzy.
Platform growth: Orders analyzed Jan-Nov across 128 cities; Bengaluru/Hyderabad/Chennai led extravagance.
What It Means for Consumers and Platforms
2025 marked quick commerce’s “graduation” to everyday essential + impulse/luxury hub. Tipping reflects appreciation for 10-min magic amid urban chaos; high carts show trust in platforms handling valuables securely. Challenges: Delivery strain, returns on gadgets. For rivals (Zepto, Blinkit), it’s a benchmark—Instamart’s breadth (milk to iPhones) sets the tempo.
As India shops “all-in,” 2025 proves convenience trumps category: from ₹10 printouts to ₹4.3 lakh hauls, Instamart became the urban heartbeat.
Read this: Swiggy to Raise Rs 10,000 Crore to Expand Instamart Operations, Gets Final Board Approval
