Valentine’s Day shopping in India is changing. Instead of planning gifts days in advance, many shoppers now wait until the last minute and rely on instant delivery apps to save the day. Whether it’s a box of chocolates, a skincare kit or a small but thoughtful gift, speed has become as important as sentiment.

According to a report by Unicommerce, global e-commerce volumes grew by 17% compared to the same period in 2025, and order volumes on e-commerce platforms increased by 48% in the year.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) websites saw a 16% increase in order volume and marketplaces saw 14% growth. In addition to this, consumers moved beyond traditional gift categories, indicating that “everything can be a gift.”

Popular choices include foods like gourmet snacks, artisan teas and chocolates, along with beauty and personal care products like perfumes, skin care kits and makeup combos.

Gift products such as coffee mugs and pillows for couples also gained favor, while practical lifestyle and wellness products emerged as thoughtful gift options, proving that Valentine’s gifting is becoming more personal and less predictable.

E-commerce demand during the Valentine’s sale grew across the country, showing how online shopping for special occasions is becoming commonplace even beyond the big cities. Tier 1 cities and metro areas saw growth of around 19%, tier 2 cities saw growth of around 14%, while tier 3 cities matched metro areas with growth of close to 18%.

Behind many of these last-minute purchases were personalized recommendations and timely reminders from top brands. During the Valentine season, brands handled more than 1.2 million interactions with customers via SMS, WhatsApp, RCS and its AI voice agent, Catalyst.

These targeted messages converted into over 18,000 orders worth around ₹35 crore, underscoring how communication tools are now closely linked to sales performance.

Analysis of more than 15 million orders processed on e-commerce platforms, marketplaces and brand websites between February 1 and 10, 2026, highlights how impulse buys and fast deliveries are reshaping Valentine’s shopping.