new delhi, June 13 -- Indians are increasingly turning to social media to discover, compare and buy everything from daily groceries to luxury jewellery-often without stepping into a store. Nearly eight in 10 shoppers in India rely on social platforms for product discovery, with an overwhelming 96% doing so through Meta's platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, according to the company's latest India Retail Purchase Journey report released Thursday. The report underscores Meta's growing influence not just in India's digital advertising space, but across the entire retail funnel-from discovery to purchase. As shoppers toggle between online research and offline shopping, especially in high-ticket categories, Meta is positioning itself at the centre of this omni-channel shift. The study, based on a Meta-commissioned survey of 2,548 internet users aged 16-64 years, tracked how consumers in India engage with retail categories ranging from electronics and clothing to luxury goods and groceries. Meta's dominance in India, its largest market globally by user base, adds weight to the findings. India had 448.1 million monthly active Facebook users as of 2024, according to data from commerce platform Shopify. Instagram, too, is among the country's most popular platforms, particularly among younger users in urban and semi-urban regions. Even among in-store buyers, product discovery is now digital-first. Facebook and Instagram outrank physical store browsing as discovery platforms, especially in high-involvement segments like electronics, according to the report. Nearly two-thirds of those buying large electronics in-store reported doing extensive research online beforehand. This phenomenon, often called "showrooming," is also evident in luxury jewellery, where two in three online purchasers first saw or evaluated the product in-store. Meta routinely publishes reports on digital shopping behaviour. Previously, the company has released reports on quick commerce, fashion, and beauty and personal care segments. Shoppers spend hours daily on these platforms, generating data and driving business for a multitude of small and large brands. "More shoppers are tuning omni-channel," said Arun Srinivas, director and head (India), ads business at Meta. "Across categories, more purchases have happened in-store than online in the last 12-15 months. For these expensive categories, being able to see and touch the product, enjoying the experience of shopping in-store and the difficulty of shopping online are all key in-store purchase drivers." Meta's report also pointed to seasonal spikes in offline shopping, for instance, during Karva Chauth and Valentine's Day, highlighting that occasions still drive footfall even as digital engagement rises. India's $820 billion retail market is in transition. More shoppers are comfortable buying online, but traditional retail still remains dominant in certain categories. Over 80% of respondents had visited a physical store for grocery shopping in the past year, while 75% of clothing buyers reported offline purchases. Yet, most of these shoppers also relied on online platforms for product research, making the lines between offline and online increasingly fluid. "There's a role for offline and for online-they're not going to go away," Srinivas said. This hybrid behaviour is shaping advertising strategies too....