8 Things Young Indians Are Spending Money On Instead of "Things"
Something measurable is happening to how India spends. According to CBRE research, Indian household spending on experiences over material things is projected to grow faster than spending on physical goods through 2030, 10.3% annually versus 9.1%. Separately, Deloitte India found that half of Indian consumers now say they spend more on experiences than on goods. Here's where that money is actually going.
1. Live Concerts and Gigs
Concert attendance has gone from occasional to habitual. It's not just about the headliner anymore; it's the story of having been there, the photos, the group chat recap. For a lot of people, one good night at a gig now beats a new gadget sitting in a drawer within a month.
2. Weekend Getaways Over Big Purchases
Instead of saving toward one big annual trip, more people are taking frequent, smaller weekend trips. A short drive to a nearby hill town or a quick flight to another city now competes directly with money that used to go toward furniture or electronics upgrades.
3. Food Crawls and Dining Experiences
Eating out has shifted from "getting food" to "having an experience." Pop-up dinners, themed cafes, and food trails are treated like shopping trips used to be: planned outings worth telling people about afterwards.
4. Wellness Classes and Retreats
Spending on yoga retreats, fitness bootcamps, and wellness weekends has grown alongside the broader experience shift. People increasingly value how an activity makes them feel over what it adds to their shelf.
5. Pop-Up Events and Immersive Spaces
Limited-run art installations, immersive exhibitions, and pop-up experiences are becoming a category of their own. Their built-in scarcity, here for two weeks and then gone, makes them feel worth prioritising over something you can buy anytime.
6. Local Cultural Festivals and Art Shows
Smaller, local cultural events and art festivals are seeing steady attendance growth, often from people who'd never have made the trip for a big-ticket show. These events offer the same "I was there" value at a fraction of the cost.
7. Adventure Sports and Outdoor Activities
Trekking, scuba diving, paragliding, and other outdoor activities are no longer niche hobbies. They're becoming a default way people choose to spend a free weekend, often prioritised well above adding another item to a wardrobe or home.
8. Workshops and Skill-Based Experiences
Pottery classes, art workshops, and one-day skill sessions are growing as a spending category because they combine a social outing with something to show for it afterwards: a finished piece, a new skill, a story.
Why This Shift Is Happening
The common thread across all eight is simple: people are increasingly measuring value in what they experienced and who they were with, not what they now own. Social media accelerates this, but CBRE's research suggests the underlying shift is structural rather than a passing trend.
Where This Leaves Discovery
If experiences are becoming the default way people spend, the next obvious problem is finding the right ones before they're gone. That's the exact gap platforms like Wooziee exist to close, helping people discover concerts, festivals, and local experiences in one place instead of hunting across scattered sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Indian spending on experiences actually growing faster than spending on goods?
Yes. According to CBRE research, Indian experience spending is projected to grow at a 10.3% CAGR through 2030, compared to 9.1% for physical goods.
Do most Indian consumers already spend more on experiences than on things?
Partially. Deloitte India's survey found that 50% of respondents report spending more on experiences than on goods, suggesting the shift is already underway for a significant share of consumers, not yet a universal majority.
Is this experience-spending trend specific to luxury consumers?
No. The shift spans everyday categories like food, local events, and weekend trips, not just high-end travel or luxury hotels, though lifestyle hotels are one of the fastest-growing segments within it.
Is this just a Gen Z trend?
Mostly, but not only. Gen Z is the primary driver cited in CBRE's research, but the underlying behaviour, including the growth in dining-out experiences and local event attendance, shows up across younger millennials as well.
Final Word
None of this means things don't matter anymore. It means the story people want to tell about their money has changed, from what they bought to where they were and who they were with. That shift alone is reshaping what an entire generation considers worth spending on.