Blinkit, grocery delvery in the blink of the eye.

Technology has been the big motivator in the new world to add customer value which has seen many startups bloom across the world. One such startup that came up in North India started by two IIT graduates from IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay (my alma mater).

Blinkit (formerly Grofers) started by is a unicorn (valuation of more than a billion dollars) q-commerce (quick commerce) company that partners with local stores to ensure quick delivery of grocery items, veggies, fruits and cold storage items to your home in less than ten minutes. 

 

Even though Blinkit does not have own warehouses nor logistics services, but manages to provide you delivery within 10 minutes of placing an order at their website. Presently they serve select areas in select cities of the country.

How they do it with the help of modern technology in the blink of the eye, in less than 10 minutes, is a lesson for the world. Q-commerce is how they call it. They manage it through micro-warehouses (dark stores) spread across the city that stock more than 2000 of the more frequently required grocery items popular in Indian homes and which is put up on their website. This comfortable set is exactly what is needed in most Indian urban homes. They do not believe in well stocked large format warehouses, of the Walmart and DMart type. Though Zepto and Dunzo is already in the q-commerce market, Bigbasket, Swiggy are contemplating early moves lest they lose this market.

Is the billion dollar company waiting to be acquired by Amazon or Walmart ? How can it improve Walmart or Amazon's standing and market cap ?

Click here to understand more about the company and how it manages its operations. Click here for another doc explaining the logistics.

Anyway you look at it, the huge investments running into millions of dollars, is benefitting the customer, the common man in a great way. (recently Swiggy brought $700 million into their q commerce startup) 

 

The author stays in Electronic city phase 1 in Bangalore. It takes approximately 10 minutes for him to place the order each time by scrolling through the list and toselect the items based on availability, cost and quality. (twice every week). Another 2 minutes to make the payment. His experience over the past two months has been just exemplary. Within maximum 12 minutes he finds Blinkit delivers the order at his home. 

 

The quality of the items delivered by Blinkit is excellent, no pilferage, no error in the list and packing quantity (as different from my experiences with Amazon and Jiomart). The very courteous delivery boys make doubly sure to ascertain whether the ordert has been completely delivered. Most of the times Blinkit orders are delivered in closed/sealed paper bags, helping the environment and avoiding tendency of the delivery staff to pilfer.

The author is amazed as to how an Indian innovation in the organised retail industry, the Q commerce model, can bring more growth and innovation in this sector in the coming years across the world. It is also interesting to see how the likes of Amazon and Walmart will adapt or adopt this technological innovation by two IIT graduates that is taking India by storm.

George.