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There's something special about getting a surprise gift. Imagine ordering ordinary groceries or snacks on a rapid commerce platform and receiving a complementary gift box. Zepto has mastered this strategy with its collector gift boxes, which include an array of snacks, skincare products, and small surprises, particularly during festivals and special occasions.
Inaugural box: Zepto’s third birthday
Zepto's foray into presenting boxes began with its third anniversary in July 2024, when the company celebrated by giving out birthday gifts. The movement immediately spread to other events, such as Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, Christmas, and New Year. During Diwali, Zepto reintroduced soanpapdi, the dessert 'nobody eats, but everyone receives'.
According to Chandan Mendiratta, Zepto's chief brand officer, the goal of this programme is to foster customer love and establish a strong connection during festivals.
"It’s a meaningful way to engage deeply with our customers while also encouraging them to explore new products on Zepto.”
Deepti Karthik, founder of Decision Pinnacle, a growth and marketing consultancy specialising in D2C business, explains how Zepto has become more than just a delivery platform. “Zepto is turning what could have been just another delivery into something special. For many families, it isn’t just about the products—it is the joy and excitement these boxes bring into their homes. Children look forward to opening them, sparking moments of delight, and for adults, the thoughtful curation of products makes them feel valued.”
A new era of sampling
Zepto's gifting strategy accomplishes more than just increasing customer loyalty and engagement; it also functions as an effective product sampling tool. Samples are no longer distributed with morning newspapers or shown at the neighbourhood kirana store.
With the rise of rapid commerce, businesses such as Zepto are altering the old strategy by delivering handpicked products right to customers' doorsteps in unique boxes.
“Yes, it’s a smart form of product sampling,” Mendiratta explains.
Success is measured by the uplift in sales and the increased search volume for these products on our platform.
Chandan Mendiratta, Zepto
Zepto partners with brands aiming to align with specific consumption occasions, ensuring that the assortment resonates with customers.
This mix incorporates trendy and new products to generate excitement while keeping classic favourites for broad appeal.
Customers receive items from well-known brands such as Apsara, L'Oréal, Catch, Mama Earth, Haldiram's, and Veet, as well as new and emerging brands like Bevzilla, Nua, VS Mani & Co., Mother's Recipe, Beahugs, etc.
GD Prasad, founder of VS Mani & Co., shares how his snacking brand has used this method. "Participating in the gifting box initiative was aimed at generating product trials and increasing awareness through a highly visible and impactful sampling activity."
The primary goal is to raise brand awareness, encourage product trials, and eventually increase sales. Furthermore, the brand has created dedicated sampling SKUs and selected their best-sellers to feature in the gifting box, ensuring that it corresponds with client preferences and has maximum impact.
Beyond the emotional appeal, Karthik highlights the strategic impact of Zepto’s gift boxes: "Zepto’s gift boxes are a modern twist on an old but effective marketing strategy: sampling. By giving people a chance to experience products firsthand, brands can build awareness and earn a spot in consumers' consideration set in an organic, non-intrusive way. And the best part? It works."
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Driving consumer behaviour and sales
The gifting box technique has proven to be effective in influencing consumer behaviour. By requiring a minimum spend of Rs 500 to qualify for the box, Zepto encourages higher average order values and even recurring purchases.
Regarding Zepto's long-term impact, Vigyan Verma, founder of The Bottom Line, a brand consultancy firm, says, "Zepto's gift boxes are a fantastic idea, but the problem will be maintaining the excitement. To keep clients interested and engaged, they will need to constantly innovate—whether through better customisation, special collaborations, or seasonal twists."
And Zepto isn't stopping with festival-themed packaging. The company has already begun testing interest-based boxes, such as period care boxes for feminine hygiene, pet boxes for animal lovers, and fitness boxes for health-conscious customers. Regional celebrations are also a highlight.
"Region-specific boxes are already being developed. This year, you'll see more boxes designed for regional events," Mendiratta says.
Ghazala Ali, head of e-commerce at Dabur India, says gift boxes allow brand switchers to recall their previous brands. Sampling new items leads to trials with Zepto's consumer base.
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It also aligns with Dabur's annual business plans with Zepto, as the teams discuss avenues to grow the business together and align for event participation based on a calendar for these gifting boxes.
Krishna Khatwani, head of sales (India), Godrej Consumer Products, says, "In Q1, we launched Godrej Fab, a liquid detergent, for Rs 99/litre. With ‘Zepto Turns 3’ gift box, we sampled one lakh sachets of Godrej Fab. Similarly, in Q3, we launched Godrej Magic Floor Cleaner on Zepto. We sampled close to one lakh sachets during the Christmas/ New Year gift box in select cities."
How Zepto markets its gift box strategy
Zepto has effectively marketed its gifting strategy through a mix of social media engagement and creative storytelling.
Prasad says, “We actively promote our participation through platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram to build awareness and engage with our audience.” Customers genuinely find the initiative intriguing and often praise it on social media, sharing their excitement and appreciation for the thoughtful curation.
Dabur promotes its inclusion in the gifting box on social media platforms to notify its user base about the participation and encourage them to order from Zepto to try out the products.
Zepto manages the narrative and campaign ideation in-house; co-branded collaborations also play a significant role. “For partnerships like GPay for the Christmas and New Year boxes, we work together to refine the storytelling,” Mendiratta adds.
Additionally, Zepto crafts compelling ads to highlight the joy these gift boxes bring, such as their Christmas campaign where delivery partners transformed into 'Santa's Santa'.
Measuring the impact of Zepto’s gift box strategy
The success of Zepto's gift boxes is evident in their measurable impact on key business metrics. Mendiratta highlights, "We have witnessed a clear spike in OPD (orders per day) and AOV (average order value). Customers are eager to qualify for the boxes, leading to higher order values and even multiple orders. The collectability factor adds to the excitement."
This surge in engagement reflects the strategy’s effectiveness in driving sales.
We measure success by analysing customer data collected over a two-month period, with a focus on the conversion rate of those who received samples and then made a purchase.
GD Prasad, VS Mani & Co
The outcomes have been quite positive. "We had a strong conversion rate among the sample group, with many returning to buy our products," he adds.
Ali says customers appreciated the variety and relevance of the products in the box, motivating them to explore new Dabur products.
Khatwani adds, "We see a lot of posts and videos featuring the products in the gift boxes. Receiving a gift box with your order creates customer delight, which ties into our Godrej values of creating delight for customers."
These findings highlight Zepto's initiative's twin benefit: it improves consumer satisfaction while also providing substantial benefits to participating brands.
Is the strategy sustainable?
While the initiative has received positive feedback, Verma suggests some areas for improvement. He says Zepto should segment clients and give gift boxes accordingly.
"Even designing a few consumer personas—say, four or five prototypes—could make the gifts feel more personal and meaningful. For example, someone dwelling alone may not require a toilet cleaning. Customers would greatly appreciate your efforts if the content is valuable and thoughtfully produced."
With ambitions to extend its gifting approach, Zepto is relying on intelligent curation to keep its consumers happy and engaged. As Karthik rightly points out, "These efforts aren't just about commerce; they're about connection. And in a crowded market, it makes all the difference."