Indian Gen Z Spends Three Times More on Quick Commerce Than Older Shoppers

Indian Gen Z shoppers spend three times more on quick commerce platforms for groceries than consumers over 30, allocating 2.6 per cent of their wallet share to instant delivery.

By contrast, traditional supermarket chains such as D-Mart capture just 0.85 per cent of their spending, according to transaction data from credit-on-UPI fintech platform Kiwi. Consumers aged 30 and older continue to direct the bulk of their grocery budgets to physical stores and neighbourhood kirana shops.

Shifting priorities in grocery and credit

Younger shoppers in India are bypassing traditional discount hunting in favour of speed. Kiwi, which analysed 25,000 users between June and July 2026, found that Gen Z cardholders use credit selectively for high-value items while relying on app-based delivery for routine supplies.

They also spend 20 per cent more on rental and education payments compared to older age groups, pointing to heavy reliance on credit for essential recurring living costs. When financing larger transactions through equated monthly instalments, Gen Z users consistently choose longer repayment windows to reduce monthly outgo, accepting higher overall interest charges in exchange for immediate budget flexibility.

“Gen Z is not necessarily using credit more frequently; they are using it differently,” said Siddharth Mehta, co-founder and chief operating officer at Kiwi. “Our data shows that convenience is playing a much bigger role in how younger consumers make payment and credit decisions.”

Everyday essentials dominate digital wallets

The pivot toward speed over pricing rewards mirrors broader consumer shifts across South Asia, where instant delivery platforms like Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart have eroded market share from established hypermarkets. A separate study of 520,000 users by payroll fintech SalarySe confirmed that Gen Z spending remains concentrated on essential living costs, utilities and recurring digital subscriptions managed through automated UPI mandates, rather than discretionary lifestyle splurges.

Kiwi, which has issued more than 200,000 RuPay credit cards over the past two years, reported a 10 per cent higher wallet share among Gen Z users compared to millennials on its platform. Retailers and card issuers now face the challenge of retaining young consumers who show little loyalty to multi-card cashback schemes, focusing instead on whether quick commerce operators can sustain current delivery speeds as order volumes rise into the festive quarter.