How Gen Z is Changing Indian E-commerce: 5 Trends Every Seller Should Know
If you are selling online in India and not paying attention to Gen Z, you are missing out on the biggest shift in e-commerce history. According to Bain & Company, these young shoppers born after 1997 now make up nearly 40% of all online buyers in India.
And let me tell you, they shop nothing like their parents. Or even like millennials.
I have been watching this shift closely, and here are 5 trends that every seller, brand, and marketer needs to understand right now.
1. They Shop From 5+ Apps (Loyalty is Dead)
Here is a number that should keep brand managers up at night: half of Gen Z shoppers use more than 5 different e-commerce apps every year.
They will buy clothes from Myntra today, switch to Ajio tomorrow, try Meesho next week, and discover some new D2C brand on Instagram by the weekend.
What drives their choice?
- Best price at that moment
- Trending products they saw on social media
- Influencer recommendations
- App experience and speed
Brand loyalty? That is a boomer concept to them.
2. Social Media is Their Shopping Mall
70% of Gen Z discovers brands online, mostly through Instagram, YouTube, and now increasingly through short video apps.
They do not Google "best running shoes" like we did. They scroll through reels, watch influencers, see what their friends are buying, and click to purchase. The discovery to purchase journey is completely different.
For sellers, this means:
- If you are not on social media, you do not exist
- User generated content beats professional ads
- Micro influencers drive more sales than celebrities
- Short video content is non-negotiable
3. They Decide Fast (Really Fast)
Gen Z spends less time browsing before buying. They scroll through fewer product listings than millennials before making a purchase decision.
Why? Because they have already done their research on social media. By the time they open your app, they know what they want.
This means:
- Your product needs to show up in the first few results
- Product images and videos need to be scroll-stopping
- Too many steps to checkout means abandoned cart
- Trust signals matter more than lengthy descriptions
4. UPI is the Only Payment Method
This one is wild. According to NPCI data, over 90% of Gen Z digital transactors prefer UPI for payments. Credit cards? That is for their parents. Cash on delivery? Too much hassle.
Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm have become the default. If your payment flow is clunky or UPI is buried under other options, you are losing sales.
The checkout experience needs to be:
- UPI first, always visible
- Saved payment options for repeat purchases
- One-tap checkout where possible
- No unnecessary form fields
5. They Love Experimenting With New Brands
Here is the good news for new sellers: Gen Z spends 3x more on insurgent fashion brands compared to older shoppers.
They do not need a brand to be established. Brands like Snitch, Urbanic, NewMe, and dozens of Instagram labels have built massive followings by being different.
What attracts them:
- Trendy designs updated frequently
- Affordable price points
- Strong social media presence
- Relatable brand voice
- Sustainability messaging (even if basic)
What Should Sellers Do?
If I had to summarize it in simple steps:
- Be everywhere - List on multiple platforms, not just one
- Create content - Especially short videos showing your product
- Price competitively - They will compare before buying
- Make checkout simple - UPI front and center
- Stay trendy - Update products frequently
- Engage on social - Reply to comments, share user content
The next 5 years will be defined by Gen Z spending power. They are entering the workforce, earning their own money, and spending it online. The brands that understand them will win big.
The ones that ignore them? Well, good luck competing.
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