From iPhones to brooms, Swiggy’s Instamart saw everything fly off its virtual shelves as its first-ever Quick India Movement Sale opened to a blockbuster start.
The debut event, which runs until September 28, drove a fivefold surge in traffic and record-high order volumes within the first few hours, with deliveries completed in as little as 60 seconds in cities like Noida and Lucknow, the company announced on September 20.
Electronics and essentials lead surge
Electronics were the hottest draw. iPhone searches hit all-time highs on Instamart, phone orders jumped 20x in the first two hours, and earbuds surged 30x. Large appliances such as mixer grinders and gas stoves saw demand spike 50x, showing how quick commerce is widening beyond snacks and staples.
Home and lifestyle categories also boomed. Bedsheets grew 90x in 124 cities, yoga mats jumped 100x and sold out in 62 locations, while brooms unexpectedly became a breakout hit with a 40x surge. Everyday pantry items like ghee, sunflower oil and groundnut oil moved quickly, along with a 10x spike in energy drinks and strong growth in makhana and cashews.
Tier 2 towns steal spotlight
Tier 2 cities powered much of the growth. Bathinda led with an 18x jump in orders, followed by Ludhiana (15x), Kota (12x), Meerut (12x) and Amritsar (12x). These regions saw high demand for earbuds, cleaning products and beverages, underlining the spread of festive quick commerce beyond metros. Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai still accounted for the largest volumes overall.
Instamart highlighted record-breaking speed, with fastest deliveries in under a minute for items including earbuds, mixers and bedsheets. Udaipur, Panipat and Thrissur ranked among the fastest Tier 2 markets for 10-minute drops.
Beyond snacks: toys to trimmers
Other categories saw similar spikes. Learning kits surged 120x, musical toys 80x, and grooming items such as trimmers and face washes also recorded strong traction. The “golden hours” of the sale were led by protein bars, soaps and detergents, pointing to both aspirational and daily-use purchases driving volume.
The Quick India Movement Sale is Instamart’s first national festive campaign and a direct play at rivals Blinkit, Zepto and BigBasket’s BB Now. With offers of up to 90% off on 50,000 products and bank partnerships for extra cashback, Instamart is betting that speed and discounts will secure it a bigger share of festive shopping this year.
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