Festive quick commerce ad budgets rise 25 to 35 percent

Brands are raising festive quick commerce ad budgets 25 to 35 percent year on year, according to a Storyboard18 report published on 21 August 2026. Festive ad rates on the same platforms are up 30 to 50 percent.

The spend is concentrated. FMCG, food, beverages, beauty, personal care and gifting take 65 to 70 percent of festive quick commerce ad spend. Electronics and lifestyle take 15 to 20 percent. Endemic brands, meaning those that sell on the platforms, make up 80 to 85 percent of advertisers. Non-endemic brands are 15 to 20 percent, and the report suggests that share could double in the next 12 to 18 months.

Quick commerce ad spend for 2026 is projected at Rs 5,000 Cr. Festive advertising revenue alone is estimated at Rs 1,200 to 1,500 Cr, growing 40 to 50 percent. Quick commerce accounts for 16 to 17 percent of Indian e-retail GMV.

Saurabh Kumar, Founder of Envigo, said “Quick commerce is now taking around 20-30% of ecommerce and retail-media budgets”. Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO of ReBid, said “Quick commerce can now absorb roughly 20-30% of a brand’s ecommerce budget”. Kunal Kothari, Chairman, Founder and COO of Mobavenue, says strong campaigns generate return on ad spend of around 5 to 7X.

The maths a flat budget hides

CPCs have moved from Rs 5 to 10 up to Rs 7 to 15, and higher in contested categories. Read that next to budgets rising 25 to 35 percent. A brand holding its festive budget flat is not standing still. It is buying materially fewer clicks than it bought last festive season, on a surface where visibility decides the basket.

So the decision is not budget versus no budget. It is coverage versus concentration. Either fund the increase and hold click volume across the catalogue, or keep the budget flat and cut the SKU list down to the few packs that actually convert, letting the rest ride on organic placement. Pick before the first sale day, not during it.