The ‘green’ cost of FOMO

Every year, the retail calendar seems to acquire a new festival, and not the cultural kind. Halloween discounts appear weeks in advance; Black Friday sales extend for a whole month, and Independence Day or Diwali campaigns are no longer about celebration but about “shopping windows.” The idea is simple: create a moment, amplify it, and trigger urgency.

This formula works brilliantly for sales spikes. But as a country talking increasingly about sustainability, mindful consumption, and environmental impact, it is worth asking whether this relentless push to buy-more-now contradicts the values many brands claim to support.

The rise of engineered urgency

Modern marketing has perfected the art of manufacturing FOMO. A combination of countdown timers, limited-stock prompts, influencer hauls, and season-specific shopping offers turns buying into a reflex. What used to be occasional retail indulgence has become a recurring cycle of urgency-driven consumption.

Even in India, where buying habits have historically been value-conscious, this psychology is reshaping behaviour.

A 2024 YouGov survey found that 62% of urban Indian shoppers buy something during sale periods that they did not intend to purchase. Another report by Deloitte noted that Indian shoppers now participate in at least six major sale cycles a year, compared to two or three just a few years ago.

In effect, markets aren’t responding to demand; demand is being engineered. This is where the value contradiction becomes obvious.

Over the past five years, sustainability has become a strong narrative across categories - fashion, beauty, home, wellness, and packaged goods. Brands encourage people to make greener choices, reduce waste, and invest in better alternatives.

Yet, these same brands often push aggressively during hyper-commercial occasions, fuelling short-term buying impulses. Sustainability asks for restraint and longevity. Most marketing asks for acceleration.

Consumers notice this mismatch. A 2023 BCG study found that a significant share of Indian consumers are wary of brands that talk sustainability but behave inconsistently, especially around excessive discounting or seasonal hype. This is not merely a perception issue; it is a credibility issue.

Why deep discounts don’t build loyalty

There is a long-held belief that discounts bring customers in, and once they experience the product, they stay. But data suggests otherwise.

Customers acquired through deep-discount events are far less likely to become repeat buyers than those who discover a brand organically or through community-led engagement.

Discount-led spikes are exactly that--spikes. They do not build loyalty, trust, or affinity. In fact, too much discounting can distort the consumer’s perception of a brand’s true value. More importantly, it affects the relationship. Consumers become transaction-focused instead of connection-focused and wait for price drops rather than engaging with the brand story or product purpose.

Yet, amidst this pattern, a new kind of consumer is emerging. India is seeing the rise of the conscious consumer, individuals who care deeply about how products are made, the environmental footprint behind them, and the values a brand stands for. These consumers may not always choose the most expensive product, but they actively look for clarity, honesty, and alignment with their values.

They appreciate brands that choose authenticity over aggression. They notice when a brand chooses restraint over noise. And for them, a brand becomes meaningful not through discounting but through principles and consistent behaviour over time.

Why brands should choose restraint

At its core, business is a relationship. And like any relationship, it cannot be nurtured through sporadic, high-pressure interactions. Communities do not form around coupon codes; they form around shared values, meaningful stories, and a sense of belonging.

Building such a community requires honesty and depth. It means showing customers why a product matters, demystifying the process behind it, and creating experiences and conversations that go beyond selling. When brands engage their audiences in this way, they earn something that no discount can - trust. And trust is what ultimately makes a brand respectable in the long run, not as a slogan but as a lived reality.

This is why brands shouldn’t rush to jump onto every sale wave. In a landscape where every brand is expected to react instantly to trends, restraint can be both a strategic choice and an ethical stance. It signals to consumers that the brand values thoughtful commerce and impact over impulse.

Interestingly, such restraint often strengthens long-term perception. People remember when a brand behaves differently for the right reasons. They notice when it does not push them into compulsive buying cycles. It helps the brand stand a little taller.

The real win

India stands at a crossroads. We are one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets, yet also a society becoming more aware of waste, sustainability, and mindful living. Brands operating here cannot rely solely on tactics designed to inflate short-term revenue while ignoring long-term responsibility.

The future will belong to those who communicate transparently, behave responsibly, and keep their relationship with consumers at the centre of their decisions. FOMO-driven consumption may continue to generate spikes, but it will not define the brands that endure. The brands that last will be the ones that choose balance, understanding when to market boldly and when to step back.

Because in the end, the real win is not selling more during every commercial moment. It is earning a place in people’s lives, thoughtfully, respectfully, and sustainably.

-Upamanyu Borkakoty, founder, Woolah Tea. The company recently launched an Anti-Black Friday sale to encourage mindful consumption.