Over the past 5 years, the q-commerce or quick commerce industry has completely changed the game for retail and e-commerce. With a livid promise of super quick deliveries within the brief time frame—majorly under 20 minutes. Since COVID-19 happened, the leniency toward instant gratification has been pretty evident and created a dire need for a metaphorical example of such solutions, "selling like hotcakes." Quick Commerce could be curated by a top app development company or customized by hiring Indian app developers. With factors such as increased smartphone penetration, the swift growth of digital shopping and payment platforms, and a speedily growing middle class, the demand for such quick commerce solutions is a hit for major conglomerates.
But the main question remains: who's leading the charge for the competitive Indian quick commerce marketplace? This research article will take a deep dive into the market insights to proffer you with the best insights on the Indian quick commerce market and how you can approach dedicated developers for hire in India, along with a detailed analogy of the cost to develop quick e-commerce apps. The most notable seismic shift in the retail environment is the broad utilization of q-commerce which also confirms the safety and convenience in the aftermath of the post-COVID period. The Indian market began experimentation with the 'fast' form of regular e-commerce way back in 2018 and quickly became habituated to quick commerce/hyperlocal deliveries that provided doorstep deliveries within half an hour. Today, the majority of the popular Q-commerce companies generally store approx 1,500-2,500 SKUs strategically positioned in dark shops for swift deployment within a 2-kilometer radius.
(Calculation based on a billion dollars USD)
Quick Commerce Business Model
Quick commerce is basically a subset of e-commerce. This industry has emerged as a victorious and disruptive force in India's retail sector. From altering customer expectations and challenging accomplished retail markets by promoting instant delivery of everyday essentials within minutes, this market isn't going to budge anytime soon. The intricacies of the Indian fast commerce industry boast huge competitors in Tier 1 and 2 cities, different marketing tactics, and multiple variables that drive their growth.
But before you jump into Googling the top app development company in India or the cost to develop a quick e-commerce app, understand what quick commerce is. Quick Commerce, often referred to as "ultra-fast delivery," encompasses a smooth supply of products and services on demand within a matter of minutes or hours. This includes multiple essential products such as groceries, household items, electronics, beauty items, convenience products, and even fancier items like cutlery, party items, and more. The quantities of things are primarily modest, typically food and personal hygiene products, and more unlike conventional e-commerce, which takes a finite number of days to deliver, q-commerce operates on hyper-local fulfillment models and innovative technology for faster order delivery. The quick commerce business model utilizes dark stores or a network of micro-fulfillment centers that are strategically positioned across prime residential areas to enable instantaneous order fulfillment and delivery.
How Do Quick Commerce Deliveries Function?
In deliveries of 2024, the Indian market is dominated by 2 categories: food delivery via portals like Swiggy and Zomato, and quick commerce with apps like Blinkit, BBDaily, and many more. Even if you consult with a top website development company, the first thing they talk about in quick commerce app development is their highly advanced tech stack, incredible logistics, and a huge network of fulfillment centers. Major companies also use AI, automation, and big data analytics to detect purchase demand patterns of buyers and optimize their delivery routes further, making the entire delivery process more customized and efficient. Below's a breakdown of how it honestly works:
Hyper-local Warehouses
Compact warehouses or dark shops are deliberately stationed in densely populated regions for quick stocking of frequently ordered essentials such as snacks, food, everyday essentials, and hygiene products.
Order Placement, Processing, and Fulfillment
Users place orders via a mobile app or website that is processed at a nearby micro-fulfillment center. From there, it starts to get managed and packed as per their protocols.
Inventory Management
Product inventory is adjusted according to localized buyer habits, guaranteeing that commonly purchased goods are constantly available.
Quick Delivery
Products are delivered directly to the customer's doorstep via delivery partners, generally in two-wheelers or electric vehicles, after instant dispatching within minutes of placement.
Top 5 Quick Commerce Brands in India
The Indian quick commerce industry is experiencing impressive growth and competition, with large conglomerates such as Ola, Flipkart, and Amazon planning to jump on the bandwagon. Let's break down the top 5 players of the quick commerce industry in India:
BlinkIt
Founded: 2013 (Rebranded from Grofers to Blinkit in 2021)
Delivery Time: 10–22 minutes
Presence: Over 30 cities
Specialty: Groceries, Daily Essentials, Gift Hampers, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, Pet Store, and Apparel
Blinkit, originally identified with Grofers, started as a basic grocery delivery network, but in 2021, it took a dynamic turn toward the fast commerce model by rebranding to reflect its new focus. Blinkit relies on a hyperlocal network of dark shops throughout multiple tier 1 and tier 2 cities, enabling instant deliveries of groceries, snacks, household items, and many other essentials. Generally, Blinkit delivers within 10-20 minutes; their solution is intended to blend speed with a diverse product selection. Their humongous SKUs are upgraded regularly across prime areas such as personal care items, home necessities, fresh fruit, and packaged food. Buyer demand for faster services fueled Blinkit's transformation to quick commerce, primarily during COVID-19, which accentuated the need for on-demand delivery. Blinkit boasts an incredible logistics solution and supply chain infrastructure that served as a solid foundation for this move, enabling it to swiftly assemble its q-commerce operations.
Features of Blinkit
Brand Recognition: Since Blinkit was already a known establishment as Grofers (2016), it got a head start in the quick commerce market, especially in the grocery delivery niche.
Operational Efficiency: Blinkit's pre-established supply chain has allowed it to acclimate to the quick commerce model seamlessly.
Broad Product Range: Buyers can order literally EVERYTHING from fresh fruits and vegetables to electronics items with the added assurance of quick delivery.
Swiggy Instamart
Founded: 2020
Delivery Time: 15–30 minutes
Presence: Over 30 cities
Specialty: Groceries, Snacks, Beverages, Electronics, Beauty
Swiggy has been a renowned household name as India's leading food delivery platform since August 6, 2014. A part of their expansion project in the quick commerce sector was Instamart, which was launched in 2020 to further capitalize on the growing demand for lightning-fast grocery deliveries. Instamart completely leverages Swiggy's vantage of its existing delivery fleet and logistics network to proffer quick commerce services on an enormous scale. Swiggy's key edge in the quick commerce field is its pre-established delivery infrastructure and a broad network of readily available delivery executives, enabling Instamart to make grocery deliveries with time as little as 15 minutes while up to 30 minutes in other remote areas or Tier 2 cities. Instamart has swiftly emerged as one of India's top quick commerce platforms, offering a diverse selection of items such as fruits, drinks, snacks, groceries, personal care items, and household essentials. This segment's popularity was retained due to its seamless integration with Swiggy's app, which allows users to order food and groceries and do more within the same platform.
Instamart’s Market Edge
Existing Delivery Network: Instamart takes advantage of Swiggy's verified delivery fleet, resulting in rapid growth and efficiency in operations.
Wide Reach: Instamart boasts an extensive territorial footprint, serving more than 25 cities.
Integrated Platform: Consumers can utilize the Swiggy app to place hotel and shopping orders simultaneously, supplying an all-in-one solution.
Zepto
Founded: 2021
Delivery Time: 10 minutes
Presence: Primary metro 15-20 cities (currently expanding)
Specialty: Groceries, Daily Essentials, Beauty Products, Electronics
In 2024, Zepto will be one of India's fastest-growing quick commerce companies. They took the vantage of a mobile app development company and pioneered the notion of 10-minute grocery delivery. Founded by two young entrepreneurs, Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, Zepto has rapidly established a niche by prioritizing ultra-fast grocery and basic deliveries, leveraging hyper-local dark shops. Most of these dark stores are strategically positioned in high-demand locations of metropolitan cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, permitting Zepto to achieve its commitment of delivering groceries in the closest time to 10 minutes. Zepto's success can easily be attributed to its logistics network, which has been continually optimized for efficiency. Each of their dark stores hoards a limited inventory of popular products that get restocked regularly via a centralized supply chain. This facilitates Zepto to shorten delivery times and confirm fresh product availability and delivery. Currently, Zepto is expanding its locations by targeting tier 2 cities and product offerings that go beyond groceries to incorporate personal care products, household essentials, electronics, and snacks.
Zepto's Uniqueness
Speed: Zepto regularly delivers around 10 minutes, emphasizing prompt and effective performance.
Dark Stores: Zepto's network of dark shops enables efficient management of inventory and speedy order dispatches.
Targeted Approach: Zepto concentrates on densely populated cities with a strong demand for lightning-fast grocery shipments.
Our Table
| Company | Recent Dark Store Count | Forecast for FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Blinkit | 639 | 1000 |
| Zepto | 400 | 700+ |
| Swiggy Instamart | 500 | 500+ |
| BB Now | 400-500 | 600 |
| Dunzo | 500 | 700 |
BigBasket
Founded: 2011
Delivery Time: 10–20 minutes
Presence: 15-20 cities
Specialty: Groceries, Fresh Produce, Dairy
Founded in October 2011, BigBasket has been among the early players of the on-demand services industry. With over a decade of digital presence in India's online grocery delivery business, the company decided to match the advent of fast commerce by curating its q-commerce platform, BB Now, with two separate apps, BB Instant, and BB Daily. BigBasket's BB Now platform provides 10- to 20-minute delivery of groceries and everyday essentials in most urban cities. BigBasket's substantial brand recognition and gigantic supply chain network have created a significant brand loyalty user base among Indians. This vantage of the existing user base allowed them to compete well in the quick commerce industry, primarily in grocery delivery. BigBasket boasts the benefit of scale, with unlimited access to a vast inventory of products that automatically proffers their subset a broader range of offerings in comparison to their other competitors. Whether you need to restock your pantry staples, get fresh fruits and vegetables, or purchase meat or poultry products, BB Now supplies a wide range of items catering to every customer's needs.
BB Now Unique Features
Established Supply Chain: BigBasket's powerful supply chain network serves as a competitive advantage when it comes to product availability and cost.
Comprehensive Product Range: BB Now presents one of the most comprehensive choices of groceries and day-to-day essentials.
Strong Brand Loyalty: BigBasket’s stature for dependability has deciphered into BB Now’s quick commerce triumph.
Dunzo Daily
Founded: 2015
Delivery Time: 15–20 minutes
Presence: Over 10 cities
Specialty: Groceries, Medicines, Daily Essentials
Dunzo emerged as a hyper-local task-oriented business, permitting customers to carry out any tasks, such as collecting a misplaced charger or sending important documents from one location to another with nominal pricing. However, when customer demand for speedy delivery of necessities rose, Dunzo shifted to targeting swift commerce. Dunzo already serves as a major participant in the quick commerce area, enabling 15-20 minute supplies of groceries, medications, and regular necessities. It has already gained a significant foothold in important towns like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai. Dunzo's reputation is recognized for its flexibility, enabling users to get pretty much anything delivered within a short timeframe at affordable pricing. Its foray into quick commerce came to the market as a natural extension of its existing services, and the brand further leveraged its task-based origins to provide its users with a wide range of products ranging from groceries to snacks to cooked foods, along with health and wellness items.
Dunzo’s Unique Proposition
Flexibility: Dunzo's capacity to send out practically anything distinguishes it from rivals that exclusively rely on grocery deliveries.
Focus on Essentials: Dunzo has carved itself a niche through the provision of not just foods but also medications along with other supplies.
User-centric Approach: Dunzo provides a service that is tailored, letting customers make requests for customized tasks in addition to the typical delivery.
Who is Winning the Quick Commerce Game in India?
Although there's no one-size-fits-all assumption when it comes to quick commerce apps curated by dedicated developers for hire in India, As of 2024, Zepto and Blinkit currently appear to be winning the q-commerce race in India, owing to their rapid accumulation, finance, and mastery to optimize operations. Here's a brief list of the top five quick commerce players who are known for their eccentricities:
Zepto: Known for its ingenious practice and instantaneous scaling.
Blinkit: #1 quick commerce app in India 2024, and a strong competitor with vast city coverage.
Swiggy Instamart: Utilizes Swiggy’s comprehensive logistics grid.
Dunzo: Efficacious in certain metro markets and delivering versatile assistance.
BB Now: A relatively new product from the legendary BigBasket, but a promising contender backed by its established label and also TATA.
Although competitors are promptly getting bigger, Zepto's hyper-focused delivery methodology and implementation velocity provide an edge over the competition. However, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart are formidable rivals owing to their big audience bases and well-established networks. Many other giant conglomerates are also approaching a top website development company or even a top app development company across India to match this demand of the quick commerce sector.
| Factors | Zepto | Blinkit | Swiggy Instamart | BigBasket | Dunzo Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery Time | 10 minutes | 10 minutes | 15 minutes | 30 minutes | 25-30 minutes |
| Range of Products | Groceries, Essentials, Electronics | Groceries, Essentials, Electronics, Beauty | Groceries, Essentials, Electronics | Groceries | Groceries, Essentials, Medications |
| Pricing | Medium | Medium-High | Medium | Low | Medium |
| Customer Feedback | 4.5/5 | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Cost to Develop Quick E-commerce App
Creating a quick commerce platform with dedicated developers for hire in India necessitates considerable investment in technology and logistics. You can either hire web developers, approach a web development company, or even a top app development company like Hyperlink InfoSystem to get the best estimation of the cost to develop a quick e-commerce app. Let's break down the overall expenditures involved:
App Development (iOS and Android)
The cost to develop a quick e-commerce app depends on its complexity of features and user-friendliness, especially for a fast commerce platform. This includes moderate to advanced search filters, live tracking, push notifications, and multiple secure payment channels. The cost for this shall go anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000 if you hire dedicated developers.
Backend Development
For any quick commerce app, it's vital to approach a reputed mobile app development company to craft a robust backend system for inventory management, logistics coordination, and order processing systems in place to confirm secure scalability. The cost for this shall go anywhere from $50,000 to $90,000 if you hire Indian developers.
Logistics and Delivery Network
Creating a delivery fleet for your quick commerce and establishing hyper-local fulfillment facilities can be incredibly resource-intensive. It's vital to hire web developers or a professional mobile app development company to manage the initial investment that could go anywhere from $600,000 to $1,200,000, based on the size of the city and total number of locations.
Technology Integration
Infusing artificial intelligence, NLP, and ML, along with other tools such as data analytics and automation for delivery route optimization for inventory management and demand prediction, could incur significant investment if you look for dedicated developers for hire in India. The cost for this shall go anywhere from $150,000 to $300,000 if you hire Indian developers.
Marketing and Customer Acquisition
With incredible competition in the quick commerce sector, marketing initiatives are critical for continuous consumer acquisition. The marketing budget includes digital marketing and app promotions on multiple forums and could go from anywhere between $150,000 and $600,000. Therefore, setting up a full-fledged Q-commerce platform or the complete cost to develop quick e-commerce app goes between $900,000 and $3,000,000, depending on the region.
How Hyperlink InfoSystem, a Top App Development Company in India, Helps with Quick Commerce App Development
The future of the Indian app development business extends far beyond simple commercial apps, with a radical change underway that includes discussing each client's pain points, emphasizing user experience, and scalability. Hyperlink InfoSystem intends to capture this market and tailor all app solutions and development options by leveraging upcoming technologies such as AI/ML, AR/VR, deep learning, blockchain, NFT, and Metaverse.
Hyperlink InfoSystem has become a household brand in the IT solutions sector since its founding in 2011. To maintain its worldwide tradition with multiple branches in India, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and other locations. They have worked with over 2700 clients and produced several solutions, including large efforts that use the most recent tech stacks, with a team of over 1200 skilled engineers and data scientists. Hyperlink InfoSystem's incredible 98% client retention rate and delivery of over 4500 apps illustrate its value. Their comprehensive solutions for businesses seeking to capture or enter the quick commerce market include:
- Custom app development: Developing unique mobile apps for consumers, admins, businesses, and delivery partners.
- Technology infrastructure: Constructing robust and scalable backend systems that drive profitable business growth.
- Integration with delivery partners: Incorporating currently active or even third-party delivery networks in a seamless manner.
- Marketing and branding: Developing influential marketing processes to attract new customers along with better user engagement with ongoing app upgrades.
Hyperlink InfoSystem boasts vast expertise in crafting bespoke and smooth quick commerce apps and websites that can address the specific problems of the ultra-fast delivery segment, such as inventory management, real-time tracking, and unified user experiences. We propose:
- App and Web Development: Whether you want to curate a sleek mobile app or a powerful backend system, our squad develops end-to-end platforms with customization.
- Logistics Optimization: Hyperlink InfoSystem's engineers incorporate AI-driven logistics resolutions to guarantee efficient and fast delivery systems in place.
- Scalability: Regardless of whether you're beginning small or developing quickly, our frameworks are built to expand alongside your business as it grows.
- User-Friendly Interfaces: Our team of UX/UI professionals guarantees that your quick commerce solution layouts are straightforward and motivate people to keep coming back.
- Security & Payment Integration: We offer a bundle of secure payment channels that are not only robust but also comply with all mandated data protection requirements.
Hyperlink InfoSystem, with an excellent record in app development, can support you in entering the quick commerce sector by providing an efficient, flexible platform adapted to the needs of your organization.
Conclusion
Although all five players are huge contributors to India's quick commerce market, Blinkit has emerged as a clear winner when it comes to speed of delivery, doorstep efficiency, and amazing customer satisfaction. However, it's vital to note that Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket are pretty close to leveraging their current logistics and immense brand recognition to smoothly attract a substantial portion of the market. Dunzo is also a pretty strong contender, offering a more eclectic range of services, and other market players such as Amazon Fresh, Flipkart, and Jiomart are catching up by building on their currently existing user base, more attractive product discounts, and customer loyalty.
In 2024, the quick commerce app development environment will continue to expand, making it critical to select a competent and trustworthy mobile app development company. Hyperlink InfoSystem caters to delivering exceptional solutions for target-based platforms, iOS specialization, cross-platform capabilities, and Android programming language support. As the quick commerce business develops, competition is expected to rise, with more innovations and improvements in delivery techniques, product offers, and pricing strategies. To summarize, fast commerce is rapidly transforming the way Indians shop, with multiple huge corporations striving for market dominance. While Zepto and Blinkit are now leading the race, the landscape is evolving as new companies enter the market. If you want to build a q-commerce platform, Hyperlink InfoSystem can help you design a cutting-edge, scalable solution.
FAQs
Q- What is the future of quick commerce in India?
The future of q-commerce in India appears bright because of rising customer demand for quick deliveries and ease. With increased investment and technical breakthroughs, the industry is likely to expand dramatically.
Q- How do quick commerce platforms or systems earn money?
Quick commerce systems earn money by charging delivery fees, commissions to sellers, and, in certain cases, subscription models for premium services.
Q- How can I establish a quick commerce business?
Starting a quick commerce business needs a strong technological foundation, a hyper-local warehouse setup, a dependable delivery fleet, and a thorough understanding of customer behavior in your target market.
Q- Which industries gain the most from fast commerce?
The most prevalent areas in q-commerce are grocery and daily needs, although businesses such as medicines, electronics, and even fashion are beginning to experiment with quick commerce.
Q- How long does it take to create a quick commerce platform?
Depending on the complexity and scope, creating a fast or quick commerce platform can take anywhere from 6 to 12 months, including design, development, testing, and deployment.
