Unpacking India’s q-commerce craze and roll-up showdown

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Hi there,

The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and here in Vietnam, consumer demand usually spikes through the roof before all stores close for several days.

The gig economy goes into full swing as we gear up for this holiday, which is locally known as Tết. Riders in their Grab or Gojek uniforms have been dotting the streets to fulfill orders. But as customers, we often take these delivery services for granted.

Consumers around the world are getting lazier and less patient, giving rise to quick commerce, which offers to deliver groceries at your doorstep within 10 minutes.

How is this possible? I can’t even figure out my grocery list in that amount of time.

But as we all know, tech companies love to tackle the impossible and they’re scrambling to ride this wave. Outside the US and Europe, the quick commerce race is intensifying in India.

In this week’s Big Story, my colleague Deepti analyzes the competition among Indian players like Zepto, Dunzo, SoftBank-backed Blinkit, and Swiggy’s Instamart.

Her in-depth report explores the 10-minute delivery model’s economic sustainability and the human cost of this seemingly magical service.

— Huong

THE BIG STORY
Will India’s 10-minute quick commerce model last?

Image credit: Timmy Loen

The 10-minute delivery is taking India’s ecommerce industry by storm. But is the business model viable in the long term?

THE HOT TAKE
Can Thrasio beat its clones in India?