The whitepaper states that Indian retail landscape is undergoing a clear shift from a search-based transaction model to a scroll-led discovery ecosystem
As Indian consumers move fluidly between scrolling on social media and shopping in-store or online, a whitepaper has revealed that AI, short-form video, creators, and messaging platforms are reshaping how Indians discover, evaluate, and purchase products across digital and physical channels.
The whitepaper by Meta, in collaboration with the Retailers Association of India (RAI), found that omnichannel shoppers are significantly more valuable, with consumers who shop across channels spending 2.5 times more than single-channel shoppers and up to 73 per cent more when engaging across multiple touchpoints.
“I urge retail leaders to harness the power of reels and creators to drive authentic engagement and brand storytelling. Second, embrace omnichannel performance marketing to seamlessly connect with consumers across platforms, optimising reach and impact. Third, leverage WhatsApp as a direct, personalised channel for customer interaction and commerce,” stated Meghna Apparao, Director, Ecommerce and Retail (India), Meta.
Social Media And Creators
The whitepaper highlighted that Indian retail landscape is undergoing a clear shift from a search-based transaction model to a scroll-led discovery ecosystem. Today, 77 per cent of retail brand and product discovery happens on social media, with Meta platforms accounting for 96 per cent of this discovery.
“There has been a fundamental shift in retail: consumers no longer move between online and offline; they operate across both at once. Discovery, influence, and purchase now happen through content, creators, conversations, and stores, often in the same journey. For retailers, the challenge is no longer adopting digital tools, but integrating them to drive measurable outcomes,” highlighted Hitesh Bhatt, Director, Marketing and Communications, RAI.
Short-form video has emerged as the dominant engagement format, with 97 per cent of consumers watching it daily and 60 per cent of time on Facebook and Instagram spent on video. The rise of micro and nano creators is reshaping trust and accelerating purchase decisions, with creator-led campaigns delivering measurable lifts across consideration, intent and conversion, it said.
“Reliance Digital has embraced a Reels-forward strategy, leveraging it to drive brand awareness and business outcomes on Meta. Central to this is our collaboration with regional creators on Meta, enabling authentic connections that resonate with diverse communities, delivering stronger engagement and measurable impact, making Meta an important pillar in our marketing strategy,” stated Manoj Jain, Senior VP and Head, Omnichannel Marketing, Reliance Digital.
AI-powered omnichannel
Indian consumers are increasingly adopting a “phygital” shopping behaviour, with more than half researching products online before buying in-store and a similar proportion researching in-store before purchasing online. This shift, as per the whitepaper, is pushing retailers to move beyond siloed digital and physical channels toward unified commerce models that integrate discovery, conversion, and fulfillment across touchpoints.
Indian retailers using Meta’s omnichannel optimisation have seen over fourfold improvements in omnichannel return on ad spend, while integrated data strategies have driven up to 15 per cent revenue growth. Those integrating in-store sales data with Meta advertising measurement are also reporting two to fivefold increases in ROAS and up to ninefold incremental sales growth, the whitepaper noted.
“Meta’s AI-powered solutions have fundamentally elevated our omnichannel approach, enabling us to integrate offline data and activate performance marketing across all touchpoints. This strategic shift empowers us to optimize customer journeys, unlock new growth opportunities, and drive sustained incremental footfall and revenue impact, online and offline,” stated Amit Agarwal, CMO, Croma.
WhatsApp Transforming Commerce Into Conversations
72 per cent of product discovery now happens on WhatsApp, highlighting the platform’s growing role in shaping purchase journeys. Retailers using business messaging and click-to-WhatsApp campaigns are seeing a 61 per cent average improvement in return on ad spend, a 62 per cent increase in leads generated and 22 per cent higher order values, reinforcing the role of conversational commerce in driving acquisition and sales.
The whitepaper pointed out that creators are further accelerating this shift, with 71 per cent of consumers making a purchase within a couple of days after seeing creator content on Meta technologies, highlighting how discovery on social platforms is increasingly translating into real-world transactions.
