Stories
Amazon, Flipkart Race Ahead in Quick-Commerce with 1,000 Dark Stores Milestone
C
CNBC TV18•28-09-2026, 12:35
Amazon, Flipkart Race Ahead in Quick-Commerce with 1,000 Dark Stores Milestone
- •Amazon and Flipkart are accelerating their quick-commerce expansion, nearing 1,000 dark stores, a key scale milestone according to Bernstein.
- •Reaching 1,000 dark stores allows companies to cover more top cities and focus on unit economics, improving profitability.
- •Competition in India's quick-commerce market is moderating, with players like Blinkit and Swiggy reducing aggressive pricing and Zepto shifting marketing to its membership model.
- •Bernstein estimates Blinkit holds 45-55% of the quick-commerce market by order volume, but market share estimates are challenging due to private company data.
- •Bernstein also covers Nykaa, Meesho, and Titan Company, with a positive outlook for Titan due to its retail focus and sustainable growth strategy.
Key Questions Answered
Amazon and Flipkart are approaching the key scale milestone of nearly 1,000 dark stores and small warehouses to accelerate faster deliveries and improve unit economics.
Blinkit and Swiggy have reduced aggressive pricing, while Zepto has cut discounts and shifted marketing spend toward its membership model, and Amazon and Flipkart are gradually lowering customer incentives.
Bernstein sees clear visibility on profitability for Nykaa due to its focus on beauty, fashion, and top-of-the-pyramid consumers, but remains skeptical about Meesho's long-term ability to generate substantial profit margins despite its large consumer base.
