Blink and it’s here! The Rise of Blinkit and the 10-minute Delivery Culture in India

Gone are the days when we prepared a long list of grocery items to purchase for the week. We live in an age of instant gratification, where goods are brought right to our doorstep via delivery apps such as Zepti, Instamart, Blinkit, Swiggy, and other 10-minute delivery apps. With the rise of these apps, urban India is changing the way it eats, shops, and lives. 

What once began as ‘Grofers’ in 2013, a simple grocery delivery service, transformed into a major delivery app in 2021 through its rebranding. This was not just about rebranding and changing the name; it was about changing the entire game of service.

What was the promise behind this? It was about quick delivery with speed, a promise of delivery to your doorstep within 10-15 minutes. This became a very convenient option for people. By 2022, Blinkit had also become part of the famous food delivery family – Zomato, which was backed by funding, smart tech and serious measures for speed.

Life at one point in time was very slow, but suddenly this slow-paced life has transformed into a time when we are just too busy with our lives. With the gradual shift in generations from millennials to Gen Z, there was absolutely no time to really wait. This quick commerce wave has benefited the entire country in waves. 

What’s driving the quick commerce wave?

·      There is little time for planning with our fast-paced urban lifestyles

·      There are more impulse buying habits

·      There is an increasingly huge dopamine rush with the ability to order and receive items within a short span of time.

What’s the Secret Sauce? Dark Stores

Have you ever wondered what the secret is behind good being delivered so quickly? Welcome to the world of dark stores – small, local warehouses which are stocked with all your essentials. These stores are strategically placed across the city in almost every neighbourhood, which allows delivery partners to grab and deliver to you.

It was actually because of the pandemic which accelerated this shift in buying items. It involved no more stockpiling, no more waiting in queues and no more long grocery lists – just the grocery MOOD!

You can now even order one packet of chips, one banana or a birthday candle at 11.45 PM. It’s become so much easier!

Where’s the money behind this magic?

Not only are these apps quick, but they are also funded! With millions of investments in them companies, such as Zepto or Blinkit, are focused on scale and not margins. Their idea is very simple -  the more that we use them, the more valuable they become!

So, how sustainable are these delivery apps?

There are, of course, setbacks and challenges these apps face, such as:

1)    Worker safety and burnout: The constant race against the clock often comes at the cost of delivery partners’ well-being.

2)    Profitability Concerns: Does fast mean that it’s profitable?

3)    Environmental impact: The more deliveries there are, the more traffic there is on the road which leads to more emissions. 

So, although the service is fast, the future will always pause and think about its usage.

While the rise in Blinkit and Zepto and Instamart are real, its also part of a larger trend called Q-commerce (Quick commerce) where everything that you imagine right from groceries to medicines and gadgets to even fashion will be at your demand at any time you want!

India is becoming one of the largest markets for this space, and things are only getting started. 

This new form of commerce is not just about quick deliveries; it’s also about how we are evolving as customers. We no longer have to plan ahead, and things can be far more spontaneous than before.