1,042 Chocolates a Minute and a ₹25,000 Chocolate Order: Instamart’s Valentine’s Day Trends

On the occasion of Valentine’s Day, Instamart revealed that it has been a blockbuster run-up to the day of love. In the week leading up to February 14, the platform witnessed a 10X surge in Valentine’s-related searches and premium gifting, as consumers began planning everything from roses and heart-shaped chocolates to curated gift hampers well in advance. Jewellery, greeting cards, and plush toys grew up to 10X year-on-year, marking a decisive move toward curated hampers and premium expressions of love. As per Instamart’s order analysis on 14th Feb, nearly half of all Valentine’s Day carts were placed as ‘Orders for Others’ (OFO), meaning every second order was sent directly to someone else, cementing the occasion as one of the biggest gifting moments of the year on the platform. 

Chocolates at 1,042 a Minute 

At exactly 11:59 AM on Feb 14, chocolates hit their sweetest high with 1,042 orders per minute, the highest per-minute spike ever recorded on Valentine’s Day. Searches for heart-shaped chocolates shot up 500% week-on-week, signalling that themed gifting isn’t a nice-to-have anymore — it’s non-negotiable. Silk, dark, nutty, fruity — India added them all to the cart, often in multiples. 

₹25,000 Chocolate Carts? Yes. 

Valentine’s gifting wasn’t limited to a single bar or bouquet. On Chocolate Day (9th Feb) and Valentine’s Day (14th Feb), high-value carts told their own love stories. The highest single-order spend crossed. ₹25,000 in Kolkata, a cart stacked with premium dark chocolates, milk variants, curated gift packs and more. Hyderabad and Delhi followed with significantly high-spend orders, signalling a clear shift toward bulk and premium gifting on quick commerce this V-Day.

 

Roses Before Romance Turned Late 

If chocolates peaked before noon, roses bloomed even earlier in the week, with searches for roses surging 10x compared to the week before Valentine’s Day. 

Teddy Bears Had a Moment 

Beyond edible affection, keepsakes made a dramatic comeback. On Teddy Day, teddy orders jumped 568% year-on-year, one of the sharpest spikes across categories this season. Soft toys moved from being “cute add-ons” to headline gifts, often bundled with chocolates and cakes in carefully curated carts.

 

₹15K on Makeup, ₹10K at 12:01 AM.

Bath, body, and makeup dominated big-ticket Valentine’s carts. During Valentine’s Week, a customer in Cuttack spent ₹15,093 on makeup in a single order, while a shopper in Surat began preps early in the day at 12:01 AM with a ₹10,845 bath, body, and hair cart, proving self-care was as big as romance.

 

3X Growth in Sexual Wellness 

The sexual wellness category more than tripled year-on-year, reflecting evolving comfort levels and a broader, more modern definition of Valentine’s celebrations. 

From Tech Corridors to Old-City Lanes, Metros Powered the Love Economy 

Bangalore topped Valentine’s Day gifting charts, followed closely by Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai.