Valentine’s Day: 500% spike in heart-shaped chocolates on Instamart. How Indians went all out on day of love

Quick commerce platform Instamart reported a sharp rise in Valentine’s Day demand this year, with searches and premium gifting growing 10 times in the week leading up to February 14.

Nearly half of all Valentine’s Day carts were placed as “Orders for Others,” showing that every second order was delivered directly to someone else. The company said this made the occasion one of the largest gifting moments of the year on its platform.

Chocolates led the surge

At 11:59 AM on February 14, orders peaked at 1,042 per minute, the highest per-minute spike recorded by Instamart on Valentine’s Day. Searches for heart-shaped chocolates rose 500% week-on-week, pointing to strong demand for themed products. Silk, dark, nutty and fruity variants were frequently added to carts, often in multiple quantities.

High-value purchases also stood out

The largest single order crossed ₹25,000 in Kolkata and included premium dark chocolates, milk variants and curated gift packs. Hyderabad and Delhi followed with high-spend carts, signalling growing demand for bulk and premium gifting on quick commerce platforms.

Flowers segment

Roses saw an early spike, with searches rising 10 times compared to the previous week. On Teddy Day, soft toy orders jumped 568% year-on-year, marking one of the sharpest increases across categories. Plush toys were often bundled with chocolates and cakes.

Beauty and personal

Beauty and personal care also featured in large-ticket purchases. A customer in Cuttack spent ₹15,093 on makeup in one order, while a shopper in Surat placed a ₹10,845 bath, body and hair order at 12:01 AM on Valentine’s Day. Instamart said this reflected strong interest in self-care purchases alongside traditional gifting.

Sexual wellness category

The sexual wellness category more than tripled year-on-year, indicating shifting consumer preferences and broader definitions of Valentine’s celebrations.

Among cities, Bengaluru led overall gifting volumes, followed by Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. The company said metro markets powered the bulk of the demand spike during the Valentine’s week.