IN FOCUS
In today’s newsletter, we look at:
- Quick food deliveries’ high costs in India
- The possible outcome of a Grab-GoTo merger deal
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Hi there,
In Indonesia, quick commerce offerings that promise 15-minute deliveries seem dead. Players have fallen one by one, and even those that remain – like Astro, no longer promise such fast deliveries.
Personally, I don’t need my orders to arrive that quickly. But it seems there are people who do, especially in India, where quick commerce continues to grow and has become stronger than ever.
Ultra-fast deliveries have become a trend in the country over the last year, with notable players like Zepto, Swiggy, and Zomato cashing in.
The latter two firms have two models for quick food deliveries. The first is partnering with existing restaurants, and the second is creating their own private-label brands.
In this week’s Big Story, my colleague Samreen examines the trade-offs food delivery companies face when prioritizing speed. Moreover, platforms launching their own private-label brands may create conflicts of interest with their restaurant partners.
Meanwhile, in The Hot Take, I analyze the potential outcome of a Grab-GoTo merger. With so many overlapping services between the two, it’s possible that they could merge their operations into a single app.
— Jofie
THE BIG STORY
Quick meals, high costs: inside India’s 10-minute food fight
Image credit: Timmy Loen
Zepto is scaling quick food deliveries, and publicly listed Zomato and Swiggy are following suit.
THE HOT TAKE
Commit to resilience, innovation, and strategic partnerships
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