Walmart-owned Flipkart, one of India’s largest ecommerce players, is (once again) preparing to enter the quick-commerce arena. Not that it hasn’t tried hand at that before, but it will now launch under the backdrop of Zomato-owned BlinkIt, Zepto and others proving that there indeed exists a market for quick commerce in India.
Reported first by startup blog Entrackr, the Walmart-owned e-commerce major is now looking to commence a quick-commerce service in the coming months and ensuring that the extensive customer base will be able to receive their orders promptly.
The Indian quick-commerce market, recently estimated at around a staggering $45 billion, presents a lucrative opportunity for Flipkart, revolving around the concept of providing customers with instant order fulfillment. However, the landscape is already crowded with established players like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto. To date, these companies have built robust networks and loyal customer bases, offering ultra-fast deliveries within 10-20 minutes, catering to the needs of consumers seeking immediate access to everyday essentials and beyond.
At this point, the specific details regarding Flipkart’s launch plans remain undisclosed, but nonetheless, reports suggest the company may initially target major cities, offering delivery within a 10-15-minute window. According to media reports, which cite anonymous sources, Flipkart intends to roll out its instant-delivery service in select locations as early as May this year. Once it does, it will complement Flipkart’s existing service of same-day delivery of products across several categories at no extra cost (which was launched in February).
For its part, Flipkart’s existing infrastructure and extensive reach across the country could provide a strategic advantage for the e-commerce major. Unlike its competitors, whose focus primarily lies on groceries and essential items, Flipkart boasts a broader product catalogue encompassing electronics, fashion, and other categories. According to a spokesperson for Flipkart, the e-commerce firm is “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.”
The development itself is unsurprising, given that Flipkart’s foray into quick-commerce is supported by its substantial investments in supply chain infrastructure over the years. With a strategic focus on reducing delivery times, particularly for essential items such as groceries, Flipkart has, to date, bolstered its logistical capabilities. In addition to this, the e-commerce major is also reportedly exploring the possibility of acquiring instant-delivery firm Dunzo. A successful entry by Flipkart into the domestic quick-commerce space is likely to have a domino effect, intensifying competition and further accelerating the growth of this segment.
“At Flipkart, customer-centricity is at the core of everything we do. We constantly work towards delivering a wide range of products to customers with speed,” a spokesperson for the firm said. “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.” For now, the firm is already creating a chain of dark stores across several Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi (NCR) and Hyderabad, among others.
