Beyond Metros: How Quick Commerce Players Are Expanding to Tier 2 and 3 Cities
Beny Sachdeva
Jan 14, 2025 -
8 min read
Once primarily associated with groceries, platforms like Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto are now embracing an "everything commerce" model, offering products that range from toys to electronics.
Driven by increased digital penetration and evolving consumer preferences, this segment is forecasted to expand at an impressive CAGR of 60-80%—a leap from contributing 0.3% of the retail market in 2023 to 2-3% by 2028. The growing presence of quick commerce in smaller cities highlights its potential to cater to diverse customer bases, including value-conscious households, homemakers, and senior citizens, further cementing its role as a pivotal player in India's retail landscape.
This evolution isn't just about convenience; it's about fostering habits, reshaping retail strategies, and creating a seamless shopping ecosystem that resonates with consumers across India. From quirky ordering trends to ambitious expansion plans, Quick Commerce has set abenchmark for the Industry in Modern Retail.
"Quick Commerce is not only providing consumers convenience but also creating a habit zone." - Anand Rathi Report. India's Quick Commerce retail market is on a remarkable growth trajectory. A report by Anand Rathi suggests that multiple player can co-exist in India's Quick Commerce retail market.
Key Points
The retail market in India stood at Rs 76trn - 78trn in 2023 and is expected to reach to Rs 116trn-124trn by 2028. Of this, Quick Commerce's contribution is expected to increase from 0.3 per cent (Rs 224bn) in 2023 to 2-3 per cent (Rs 2320bn-4240bn) in 2028, expanding at a CAGR of 60- 80 per cent.
Quick Commerce in India is changing in both the supply side and delivery side. In supply side platforms are expanding their offerings to include new categories, along with tech-led distribution, which helps in planning and forecasting for the brands.
The Delivery side, the pace of delivery at lower prices, compared to Kirana stores is in focus on most of the platforms. Overall, Quick Commerce is not only providing consumers convenience but also creating a habit zone. This strategy is attracting buyers and would continue to attract consumers, amid increasingly busy and digitally evolving lifestyles.
Further, with increased online penetration, housewives and senior citizens are also getting attracted to QuickCommerce for their purchases.
Over 90 per cent of the current Quick Commerce contribution is coming from the top eight cities (metros and tier-1 cities) due to mid-high-income households.
Now all the players have started expanding to Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities as well. This shows that the companies are focusing on undiscovered markets beyond the top eight cities to tap into its growth potential and cater to value buyers.
“2024 has been nothing short of phenomenal for Zepto. From achieving India’s largest domestic fundraise to mainstreaming Zepto Café and piloting Super Saver, it has been a year of bold moves, quirky milestones, and, most importantly, celebrating our loyal users who inspire us every day. Whether it was the internet buzzing about our CBO’s Soan Papdi campaign or our founder donning a Manyavar kurta, the journey was as fun as it was transformative. As we reflect on this incredible year, we thank our users for being the driving force behind our success.” – Official Spokesperson, Zepto
Blinkit scaled its presence to 45-50 cities in last two years, with its store count at 791 in Q2 FY25. New stores are now being opened in cities like Kochi, Ajmer, Alwar, Nagpur, Vishakhapatnam, along with the latest openings in Lonavala, Khandala and Hisar. The target is to reach 1,000+ stores by end FY25 and 2,000 by end CY26.
Instamart currently has a presence in 54 cities with the target of going to 75 cities. They increased their dark stores count from 523 in FY24 to 609 in Q2 FY25 with an aim to reach 1000 dark stores by FY25 end. Zepto has 650 dark stores (75 per cent in top 10 metro cities) as of Dec'24 from 340 in FY24. It is seeing a positive traction from its stores in the Tier 2 cities like Nashik, Jaipur & Chandigarh which are hitting 1000 order per day.
Flipkart Minutes is only present in 3 cities, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. It currently has 100 dark stores with plans to penetrate more in Tier 1 cities and Metros.
Companies are expanding their assortments from groceries and FMCG products to toys, gaming, luggage, sports, home improvement, electronic items, etc.
They are also looking to explore and test returns/exchanges for apparel, footwear and lifestyle products. It will be an expansion from food to everything commerce.
Blinkit in a Blink: How India ordered in 2024
2024 saw a diverse range of products capturing India’s interest. The year witnessed an unprecedented surge in the purchase of items, from Coca-Cola cans to Maggi packets, reflecting evolving consumer preferences and needs. Here are some interesting insights observed:
A look back at 2024—through the eyes of Zepto’s users:
The Year in Orders
What Kept You Up at Night (and Beyond)
Combos that Made Us Laugh:
Fun Facts from the Cities We Love
Source: Anand Rathi Report
