Flipkart’s quick commerce platform, Minutes, just launched a standalone app promising zero platform fees and free delivery on orders above ₹99. The dedicated app externalizes a service previously housed within Flipkart's main platform, intensifying competition with Zepto and Blinkit. Flipkart now builds a separate brand identity, directly challenging established quick commerce players.
How We Got Here
Flipkart Minutes operated inside the main app, scaling to 1,000 micro-fulfilment centres across 130 cities by June. Rivals like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart have spent heavily on dark stores and discounts, creating intense market pressure.
The Numbers
- The app is currently in beta, available only to select users in limited pockets of Delhi NCR.
- Its product catalogue includes kitchen staples, fruits, gourmet items, and other daily essentials.
- Flipkart Minutes head Kunal Gupta aimed to expand the network to 1,500 centres across 180 cities from 1,000 in June.
- UBS reported Minutes dark stores process 800-1,000 orders daily, with mature stores hitting 1,200-1,500 orders.
- UBS also noted Minutes’ gross margins are improving but lag significantly behind Blinkit’s.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For quick commerce founders and investors, Flipkart’s aggressive push means further margin compression and a higher burn rate will be the cost of market share.
The Take
The zero platform fee strategy means Flipkart accepts heavy losses to scale, confirming quick commerce remains a cash-intensive, margin-destroying race. The real question is how long their balance sheet can sustain it against entrenched players who’ve already taken the hit.
Source:
Inc42 ↗