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Exclusive: Flipkart to take on Zepto, Blinkit with quick commerce foray

EntrackrEntrackr · 1y ago
Exclusive: Flipkart to take on Zepto, Blinkit with quick commerce foray
Medial

The quick commerce sector is all set to heat up once again as India’s e-commerce giant is now eyeing the segment. Flipkart has started ramping up infrastructure for its quick commerce play, three sources aware of the details of the plan told Entrackr. “Flipkart will launch 10-15 minutes delivery in at least a dozen cities in the next six to eight weeks,” said one of the sources requesting anonymity. “It’s building up a chain of dark stores across several cities including Bengaluru, Delhi (NCR) and Hyderabad among others.” Flipkart’s foray into quick commerce comes at a time when experts anticipate that quick commerce would end up eating into the e-commerce pie sooner than later in India. The total addressable market for quick commerce in India is nearly worth $45 billion, according to a 2022 Redseer report. More importantly, quick commerce has proven to be surprisingly resilient in the last couple of years, with both Zepto and Zomato’s Blinkit doing more than enough to convince investors that the concept has a future in India. While Zepto was rewarded with a unicorn round, Blinkit’s (formerly Grofers) turnaround and Swiggy Instamart’s growth have been bright spots in terms of scaling up with improving margins for their owners. “If you look at Flipkart’s recent launches, it hints at the firm’s foray into quick commerce. It launched same-day delivery in 20 cities a couple of weeks ago… the company began delivering flowers and cakes around the Valentine season (February 2024),” an analyst covering the e-commerce and quick commerce segments, requesting anonymity, told Entrackr. Sources indicate that Flipkart will have a wider catalog than incumbents such as Zepto and Blinkit. “The company will have a sharp focus on FMCG, grocery and daily essentials but it would also push categories such as electronics, fashion,” added the person quoted above. It’s worth mentioning that the current quick commerce players have also been steadily expanding and diversifying their offerings. Responding to queries sent by Entrackr, a Flipkart spokesperson said they are working towards delivering a wide range of products with speed. “Over the past few months, we have made several investments to enhance our delivery capabilities, including adding same-day delivery in 20 cities. This covers mobiles, essential items, electronics, home appliances, fashion, books and lifestyle products,” said the spokesperson. “We are committed to meeting evolving customer expectations and delivering excellence in value, selection and speed, with more initiatives expected on this front in the coming months.” Over the past three years, quick commerce gained quick ground in top 15 Indian cities and top three players in the segment—Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto—managed to gain sizable scale. Sources outlined that BlinkIt does around 6 lakh orders a day while Swiggy InstaMart and Zepto’s daily volume hover around 5 lakh and 3 lakh, respectively. According to Entrackr sources and data available in the public domain, Blinkit has an average revenue run rate of Rs 12,000 crore in the ongoing fiscal year whereas Swiggy Instamart ARR (read as GMV) stands at around Rs 8,000-8,500 crore. Zepto’s gross merchandise value has neared Rs 7,000 crore. Fresh from its last funding round, Zepto has been noticeably feistier — with a larger catalog and stronger marketing push. Meanwhile, Reliance and Google-backed Dunzo lost its mojo. The firm failed to raise a new round in the past two years and reported only Rs 226 crore in revenue in FY23 with losses of Rs 1,801 crore. As per reports, Flipkart engaged in discussion regarding a potential acquisition of the Kabeer Biswas-led firm. While all that might sound good, the fact that no one disagrees is that the market is not big enough for so many players, making this a matter of staying in power for most. Or perhaps, even newer operating models that might ensure sustainable growth. The broad direction so far, of an ever widening catalog and higher value transactions like electronics items etc, indicates the bleeding will not stop anytime soon.

Related News

After Bengaluru, Flipkart Minutes goes live in Gurugram

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
After Bengaluru, Flipkart Minutes goes live in Gurugram
Medial

Flipkart Minutes, a quick commerce service by Flipkart, is now live for users in Gurugram and other parts of NCR region. This launch marks a significant step in Flipkart’s expansion plans, following the introduction of its rapid delivery service in Bengaluru. Entrackr was the first to report about Flipkart quick commerce’s foray in March 2024. It’s worth noting that Flipkart has not yet issued an official statement about the public launch of its quick commerce service. Currently, Flipkart Minutes is available in nearby Unitech Cyber Park, Sector 39, 40, The Millenium City Centre (Sector 29) and Golf Course Road (Sector 54) in Gurugram. Users in other areas in the NCR region also received notifications about the availability of Flipkart Minutes. As per sources, the service is also available in some parts of Mumbai. It allows users to order groceries, electronics, smartphones, and other products with delivery times ranging from 8 to 16 minutes. For example, a team Entrackr member based in Sector 39 got delivery in 13 minutes. Entrackr has reached out to Flipkart for comment. Flipkart already offers slot-based delivery services, competing with Amazon Fresh and BigBasket. While BigBasket is in the process of completely transitioning to quick commerce, Amazon plans to enter the space by early next year. Flipkart Minutes competes with leading quick commerce players such as Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto. The quick commerce sector has been a hot sector for over a year. With over $1 billion raised in the past couple of months, Zepto has surpassed the $5 billion valuation mark and is focusing on expansion into both existing and new cities. As per media reports, the Aadit Palicha-led company is also gearing up for the initial public offering (IPO) by next year. Zomato-owned Blinkit is expanding into tier II cities and has emerged as the top market share holder in the quick commerce space, according to a recent UBS report. To beef up its quick commerce piece, Swiggy Instamart strengthened its leadership with the appointment of a new chief executive officer (CEO) and chief operating officer (COO).

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