India’s urban consumers are spending more on groceries and everyday essentials but making fewer shopping trips, as rising prices push households to consolidate purchases even as online platforms gain ground, according to a Worldpanel by Numerator report.




Urban India recorded 13% growth in FMCG value sales in the 12 months ended June 2026, the highest among the 10 Asian markets tracked in Worldpanel’s Asia Pulse report. Growth was driven largely by an 11.5% increase in spending per shopping trip, even as the frequency of purchases declined 1.8%, suggesting higher prices are lifting household bills rather than a comparable increase in consumption.




The shift is also reshaping where consumers shop. Online FMCG sales value surged 48.9%, taking its share of urban grocery spending to 4% from 3% a year earlier. The growth came from a 32.1% increase in the number of households buying online and an 11.4% rise in shopping occasions, while spending per online trip increased just 1.2%.




Traditional kirana stores, however, continue to dominate, accounting for about 77% of FMCG sales value in urban India, although their share fell 1.5 percentage points over the year. Supermarkets are also gaining traction, with shopping occasions rising 1% and spending per trip increasing 10%.




“India’s FMCG market is seeing strong value growth, with urban FMCG growing 13%, but what is equally important is how consumers are changing the way they shop. Households are spending more on each trip while shopping less frequently, suggesting that consumers are becoming more deliberate and consolidating their purchases,” said Manoj Menon, director-commercial, Worldpanel Division.




Personal care has emerged as the fastest-growing major FMCG category, with value sales rising 16.3%, nearly double the 8.7% growth recorded a year earlier. Home care grew 10.8%, food 13.3%, dairy 11.1% and beverages 9.3%.




The strength in personal care suggests consumers remain willing to spend on categories where they perceive greater benefits, even as they become more selective about purchase frequency.




“At the same time, categories such as Personal Care are growing strongly, showing that consumers remain willing to spend more where they see meaningful benefits and value,” Menon said.




The Indian market’s performance stands out against a broader slowdown across Asia. FMCG value growth across the 10 markets tracked by Worldpanel halved to 1.5% in the 12 months ended June 2026 from 3% a year earlier. Beverage sales, which grew 4.4% in the previous year, declined 0.1%, while dairy remained under pressure, contracting 2.3%.




Thailand recorded the steepest decline, with FMCG sales falling 7.1%, while urban India was the only market to post double-digit growth.




The contrasting trends point to an increasingly fragmented Asian consumer market, with shoppers in some countries cutting back while Indian households continue to spend more, albeit through fewer and more considered shopping trips.




“For brands, the opportunity is therefore not simply to sell more, but to stay relevant across different shopping occasions, price points and channels as Indian consumers become increasingly considered in their choices,” Menon said.