Quick commerce players race to grow product lists, footprint, dark stores

In a bid to offer greater convenience, qcom platforms are increasing their presence in smaller cities, besides adding high-end items like Apple products to their product categories

In a race to redefine convenience, quick commerce platforms in India are sprinting to capture the booming demand for instant deliveries. Leading the charge, Swiggy Instamart, the quick commerce arm of food aggregator Swiggy, recently expanded its services to 100 cities, surpassing rivals Blinkit and Zepto which are currently present in over 80 and 60 cities, respectively. 

In terms of market share, Blinkit leads at 46 per cent, followed by Zepto at 29 per cent and Swiggy Instamart at 25 per cent, according to a report by Motilal Oswal. 

While the platforms are increasing their presence in various cities, they are also adding to their assortment categories to serve a range of customers. For instance, nearly two weeks after Blinkit started delivering Apple products, including MacBook Air, iPad, and AirPods, Zepto also expanded its electronics category by bringing Apple’s portfolio to its platform. In addition, the top platforms are partnering with diverse brands and adding newer categories such as beauty products, electronics, toys, stationery, kitchen goods, and fashion. 

As demand for instant delivery grows, companies are also enhancing their dark store networks to facilitate convenience and speed. Swiggy Instamart is currently expanding its network by introducing so-called 'megapods', ranging from 10,000 to 12,000 square feet in size and which can house up to 50,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs). 

As for Blinkit, the company is set to hit a milestone of 2,000 dark stores by the end of the current calendar year, ahead of its initial December 2026 target. In Q3FY25, Blinkit registered a 123 per cent year-on-year growth in dark store count. The total for Blinkit is currently at 1,007. Additionally, Blinkit added 1.3 million sq ft of warehousing space, accounting for over 30 per cent of its overall warehousing network in the first two quarters of financial year 2025. 

Earlier, speaking to Business Standard, Aadit Palicha, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Zepto said, “We have also gone from 6,000 to 14,000 SKUs, and we will continue to multiply that over the next 12 months.” The company operates over 900 dark stores. 

Even as quick commerce platforms penetrate existing metropolitan cities, they are also launching in smaller cities. Amitesh Jha, CEO of Swiggy Instamart, said, "In 2025, one in four new users came from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, underscoring the growing demand for quick commerce." In February this year, the company launched in cities such as Raipur, Siliguri, Jodhpur, and Thanjavur. 

As the race heats up, e-commerce companies are also venturing into quick commerce. US-based Amazon has initiated quick commerce deliveries in select pin codes of Bengaluru and the service is currently focusing on groceries and daily essentials. However, similar to its competitors, the company plans to expand its categories to beauty and kitchen. 

Last year, before Amazon made its play, e-commerce player Flipkart ventured into quick commerce deliveries through its Flipkart Minutes service. The company reportedly aims to establish 500-550 dark stores ahead of its flagship Big Billion Days sale this year. In addition, it targets 300 stores by March 2025, positioning itself as a strong competitor to Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart.   

The strategic push into quick commerce is timely, as festivals present a significant opportunity for players to drive demand. According to a Flipkart spokesperson, Flipkart Minutes witnessed an 80 per cent surge in demand for Holi essentials, with colour purchases spiking 25 times on the day of the festival. Similarly, Zepto experienced a rise in sales during the festival, recording a 4.4-fold year-on-year increase in gujiya (a kind of sweet) sales, a six-fold rise in water balloon sales, and an 8.4-fold growth in thandai (a cooling drink) sales.