Bengaluru: Walmart-owned e-commerce giant Flipkart has entered the quick-commerce arena with its new service, Minutes, now operational in select Bengaluru neighborhoods including HSR Layout, Gunjur, Bellandur, and Kadubeesanahalli. This service aims to deliver electronics, smartphones, and other items within 10-15 minutes, competing directly with existing players like Zepto, Swiggy’s Instamart, and Zomato’s Blinkit.
Flipkart’s strategy includes launching around 100 fulfillment centers to support its quick-commerce ambitions, particularly during the upcoming festive season. This move comes as quick-commerce competitors like Zepto, Instamart, and Blinkit are capturing a significant share of the market with their 15-20-minute delivery services.
The company has also been expanding its same-day delivery service across multiple categories to reach millions of customers in 20 cities, both metro and non-metro. Hari Kumar G, Vice President and Head of Grocery at Flipkart, emphasized that both quick-commerce and next-day delivery models can coexist, with plans to scale quick-commerce services based on demand.
Flipkart recently secured a $350 million investment from Google as part of a $1 billion funding round, bolstering its ability to compete against rivals like Amazon, Reliance JioMart, and Tata Digital. Meanwhile, quick-commerce firms Blinkit and Zepto are also ramping up their operations, with Blinkit expanding its dark store network and Zepto planning to double its count by March 2025.