Quick commerce branding reset: Flipkart, Swiggy, Zepto stop using ‘10-minute delivery’ tagline; govt order cited
Amid road safety concerns flagged by the government, Walmart-backed Flipkart, Swiggy and IPO-bound Zepto have withdrawn the “10-minute” delivery branding from their grocery offerings, according to a Reuters report.The move comes after the labour ministry, at a private meeting on Saturday, asked some companies to discontinue the “10-minute” branding amid concerns over rash driving by delivery riders and low pay. It remains unclear whether penalties will be imposed for non-compliance.
Quick commerce has grown into an estimated $11.5 billion market in India within five years, reshaping shopping habits by enabling ultra-fast delivery of groceries and electronics. However, safety issues have increasingly drawn regulatory scrutiny.Eternal’s Blinkit altered its branding on Tuesday, with Zepto, Swiggy and Flipkart following suit by removing the fast-delivery pitch, their apps showed on Wednesday. Eternal said there was no change in Blinkit’s underlying business model. Zepto declined to comment, while Flipkart and Swiggy did not respond to Reuters’ queries.Despite the branding change, companies can continue to offer rapid deliveries. In at least one area of Delhi, the Blinkit app showed delivery within eight minutes on Wednesday, as reported Reuters. “The removal of the 10-minute delivery catchline is largely optics-driven rather than business-altering,” said Karan Taurani, executive vice president at Elara Capital.India’s quick commerce players operate from more than 2,000 neighbourhood warehouses. Swiggy, which raised $1.11 billion from investors including BlackRock, Temasek and Fidelity in December, has said the funds would strengthen cash reserves and support new initiatives in quick commerce and food delivery. Swiggy and Eternal also run large food delivery businesses that are not built around ultra-fast delivery promises.
