Are brands losing ground as customers chase deal-thrill?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A few years ago, Neha Mathur, a loyal customer of a well-known beauty brand, wouldn’t have thought twice before restocking her favourites, even at full price. Today, however, she’s scrolling through multiple e-commerce platforms, hunting for the best deals.
“I’ll buy whichever brand is offering a discount. Why pay more when they’re all the same?" she says. Mathur isn’t alone.
Across India, consumers are increasingly trading brand allegiance for value, driven by a culture of discounts, cashback offers and flash sales. This shift has left brands scrambling to retain loyalty in a market where price often outweighs everything else. However, this narrative oversimplifies the evolving Indian consumer.
As Shubhranshu Singh, chief marketing officer (CMO) of Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles business, points out, “It is futile to talk about an ‘average’ Indian customer. India is incredibly diverse and heterogeneous. Its true value-consciousness is a common factor no matter whether the customer is looking for mass, popular or premium goods or services.
But remember, India is incredibly young—400 million Indians are not yet 20 years old." Also read | Prayagraj Maha Kumbh 2025: The ultimate confluence of bhakti and brands This begs the question: Is the relentless focus on short-term wins eroding the foundations of long-term brand equity? E-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart have fundamentally reshaped shopping habits in India. Annual shopping events such as Amazon’s Great Indian Sale and Flipkart’s Big Billion Days have conditioned consumers to wait for discounts, with many now equating affordability with value. Add to this the growing popularity of buy now, pay later (BNPL) schemes and
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