Sharing the data exclusively with Business Standard, the company said consumer demand was reflected in personal-care purchases, with sunscreen, facewash and bodywash witnessing a fivefold jump over the previous year.
Other summer-centric categories, including curd and yoghurt, cold drinks, squashes and instant mixes, and energy and sports drinks, also rose 1.2-1.5 times.
Along with summer essentials, mangoes emerged as another driver of summer consumption, recording 2.3 times growth year-on-year (YoY), reflecting strong demand for fresh-fruit purchases across the platform. To meet growing demand, Minutes expanded its sourcing network through more than 600 farmers and five farmer producer organisations (FPOs) across key mango-growing regions.
By sourcing directly and bypassing traditional mandis, the platform said it reduced farm-to-micro-fulfilment-centre transit times by 24-36 hours, helping maintain inventory availability above 90 per cent while extending shelf life. However, consumer preferences varied across cities. Banganapalli emerged as the preferred variety in Bengaluru, Pune and Chennai, while Sindhura led demand in Mumbai and New Delhi.
The qcom firm also said the popularity of the fruit extended beyond fresh produce, with mango-flavoured ice creams, juices and squashes posting 3.6 times YoY growth.
Notably, young urban consumers aged 25-34 accounted for the largest cohort of mango buyers, particularly in metro markets.
The company currently has approximately 900 micro-fulfilment centres.