As many Indians chose intimate, at-home celebrations to welcome the New Year, Swiggy Instamart has offered a glimpse into the shopping habits that defined New Year’s Eve across the country. From viral food trends to quirky splurges, the quick-commerce platform’s data painted a lively picture of how households prepared to usher in 2026.
Grapes Go Viral, Maggi Beats Ramen
One of the most striking trends was an extraordinary spike in demand for grapes, driven by the viral Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight for good luck. The ritual, which involves consuming one grape with each clock strike starting at 11:59 pm, clearly struck a chord with Indian consumers. Instamart highlighted the frenzy with a tongue-in-cheek post: “Searches for grapes are up by 78 times. Agar grapes out of stock dikhe toh hairaan mat hona.”
Comfort food also ruled the evening. In the much-debated noodle battle, Maggi emerged as the undisputed winner, comfortably outpacing ramen in evening orders and reinforcing its status as India’s go-to quick snack for late-night cravings.
Lay’s chips continued to be a party staple, with the Magic Masala flavour topping the charts as the most-loved variant. Late-night shoppers also drove up demand for fresh lemons, reflecting a mix of culinary needs and cocktail preparations.
Party Mixers, Barbecues and Big Spenders
On the beverage front, tonic water emerged as the most popular mixer for alcoholic drinks. Instamart summed it up on X, stating, “Tonic water is the most trending beverage right now.”
Barbecue supplies witnessed strong traction as well, especially in cities like Pune and Kolkata, where families and friends planned outdoor grills to mark the occasion. The data suggested that while celebrations were largely homebound, they were far from modest.
Some orders stood out for their sheer scale. A customer in Patiala placed more than 200 orders in a single day, including 108 packets of Kurkure, prompting Instamart to quip, “Paaji, relax.” Another eye-catching purchase came from Bengaluru, where a user ordered protein powder worth Rs 41,000, highlighting the diversity of New Year priorities.
Cards, Condoms and Gold Coins
Beyond food and beverages, Instamart noted several quirky non-food trends. Searches for card games tripled overnight, leading the platform to joke, “Kal subah tak ye log loan ke liye bhi apply karenge.”
Bengaluru recorded the highest condom orders, with Instamart remarking, “Acha hai aur traffic ki zaroorat nahi hai iss city mein.” Meanwhile, Patiala grabbed attention yet again when a user purchased gold coins worth ₹6 lakh, drawing the reaction, “Yeh kaisi party ho rahi hai Patiala mein?”