Swiggy, Zepto: Are 10-minute online deliveries killing the Indian corner shop？

Ten minute online deliveries by apps like Zomato, BlinkIt and Zepto are a $7bn business in India

Swiggy, Zepto and Blinkit, who primarily control this market, did not agree to comment on the BBCs queries on these allegations.

But a source within one of the quick commerce companies told the BBC the discounting was done by traders on the platform and not by them.

The source also said that contrary to the binary narrative of the big guy versus small guy, online deliveries were solving real-world challenges for people for whom going to the market was a traumatic experience.

Think of women or senior citizens - they don‘t want to be harassed or navigate potholes and traffic, the source said. Also consider the small brands that sell on our platform - they never get shelf space in physical shops where only the big names are displayed. We’ve democratised the market.

Analysts say, the sheer diversity of India in terms of its stages of development, levels of income and infrastructure will mean that in the end all retail models - small corner shops, organised big retailers and quick commerce platforms - will cohabit in the country.

This is not a winner takes all market, says Mr Bisen, giving the example of e-commerce which came into India in 2010 and was meant to sound the death knell of local retailers.

Even after all these years, only 4% of all shopping is done online in India.

But the ripples caused by quick commerce should be a warning for physical retailers, say analysts, to improve their marketing and integrate technology to use both online and offline channels to give their consumers a better shopping experience.

Competing with click-of-a-button delivery means it can no longer be business as usual for the millions of corner shops whove existed for decades, with little or no innovation.

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