New Delhi, June 25, 2020: Facebook India and Boston Consulting Group have released three new reports that delve into COVID-19 induced changes in the consumer path-to-purchase across mobile phones, apparel, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories. The reports are the follow up to the ‘Turn The Tide’ report released last month.
A key takeaway from the latest reports is that digital influence has increased significantly in urban consumers - up to 70% for mobiles , 55%-60% for apparel, and up to 20-25% for the non-food CPG categories.
There are three kinds of consumer trends that we are witnessing that have made the smartphone even more central to our lives – reversal of past trends such as bringing the outside in-home through virtual experiences, acceleration of past trends leading to stronger adoption of digital and online, and formation of new habits such as DIY.
The findings were revealed during a virtual event and panel discussion attended by several leaders of India Inc, and saw businesses such as Samsung India, Mondelez India, and Big Bazaar, all of which have deep offline retail networks, throw light on how they’ve leveraged digital in these times.
Consolidated key highlights:
Digital influence has increased significantly across the path-to-purchase - up to 70% for smartphones, 55%-60% for apparel, and up to 25% for the non-food CPG categories
Some trends are expected to stay even beyond the pandemic.
For apparels, 90% of consumers who have made purchases online during the lockdown are willing to continue with this behavior
80% of consumers who have made purchases online for food related sub-categories during the lockdown are willing to continue with this behavior
84% of consumers who have made purchases online for non-food related sub-categories during the lockdown are willing to continue with this behavior

Vertical specific highlights:
Mobile Phones:
70% of urban consumers for mobiles will be digital influenced, up from 55% pre-COVID
Multi-screen consumption on the rise - 94% use mobile phones while watching TV
55% intend to increase spends on mobile phone via an online channel in the next six months
​Consumer Packaged Goods:
80% consumers who purchased food related sub-categories online during the lockdown are willing to continue. The figure is 84% for non-food related sub-categories.
Consumers planning to increase online spend in the next 6 months – 51% for home care, 46% for personal care, 43% for cosmetics, 51% for staples, 44% for fresh food, and 47% for packaged food.
52% consumers have increased use of social media; more product discovery on social media e.g. recipe videos, food reviews, beauty tips, hacks.
Apparel:
55%-60% urban consumers expected to be digitally influenced.
40% of consumers planning to increase online spends on apparel in the next one month.
90% Consumers who have purchased apparel online during the lockdown and are willing to continue.