Mangoes are now outpacing paneer and the order penetration has climbed by roughly 5 to 7 per cent compared to the same period last year
While Alphonso dominates the mango conversation every year, data from direct-to-consumer (D2C) company Handpickd shows that raw mango (Ambi) are leading the orders this season. City-wise preferences are also diverging, with Gurugram favouring Kesar, while Bengaluru leans towards Alphonso and other regional varieties.
The report from the zero-inventory fresh produce D2C company reveals that mangoes are now outpacing paneer. Year-on-year, mango order penetration has climbed by roughly 5 to 7 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“Paneer is one of the most consistently purchased fresh categories in India, ordered week in and week out regardless of season. The fact that mango penetration among first-time Handpickd customers this May is running ahead of paneer is not just a seasonal spike, it signals that consumers are actively seeking out fruit experiences, not just convenience,” the report adds.
While Alphonso and Kesar hold strong, they are sharing shelf space with Dasheri, Banganpalli, Imam Pasand, Raspuri, Totapuri and even Langada. Bengaluru users are gravitating toward varieties like Imam Pasand and Raspuri (softer, more aromatic profiles), while Gurugram’s demand skews toward richer dessert-friendly varieties like Kesar and Alphonso.
“Demand itself follows a clear rhythm. Weekends see consistent spikes, suggesting that mangoes, for many households, remain a considered, intentional purchase rather than an impulse add-on. That pattern holds even as overall order volumes scale through the month,” the report explained.
In a separate report earlier this year, the company said that India’s fresh food consumption in 2025 reflected a clear shift in behaviour. The 2025 order data from that coriander topped the charts across all formats, single bunches, root-on, and bundles.
The dhania–mirchi (coriander-chilli) special combo alone crossed 24,000 orders, signalling that consumers are no longer treating fresh produce apps as digital warehouses, but as an extension of their own fridge. Tomatoes across hybrid, desi and mixed-size formats were among the most repeatedly reordered items, followed by ginger, capsicum, bottleguard, cauliflower and Nashik onion.
