Flipkart Minutes crosses 1,000 stores in 2 years, smaller cities drive 40X growth
Flipkart revealed that its quick commerce service, Flipkart Minutes, has crossed 1,000 micro fulfilment centres across 130 cities in under two years. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities recorded 42 times growth, and Gen Z now accounts for over 40 per cent of the platform's customer base.
Flipkart launched its quick commerce service, Flipkart Minutes, in August 2024. Now, almost two years later, the company has revealed that this service has crossed 1,000 micro fulfilment centres across 130 cities and over 8,000 pin codes. Flipkart says that its orders are growing five times compared to the previous year.
The company pointed out two forces in particular that are driving this growth. One, the rapid adoption of quick commerce by Gen Z consumers, and second, an unexpected surge in demand from smaller Indian cities that is reshaping how the industry thinks about growth.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 are behind the next wave
For a long time, quick commerce was largely seen as a convenience for metro city dwellers. Now things are changing. Flipkart claimed Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets have recorded a staggering 42 times scale compared to last year, with the platform expanding into 90 new cities over the past year alone. Cities like Ambala, Darbhanga, Jorhat, and Tenali are among the markets seeing strong demand momentum.
Hemant Badri, SVP and Head of Supply Chain at Flipkart Group, noted that the next phase of quick commerce growth will be driven by deeper reach and greater accessibility, rather than just doubling down on metros. "Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets have recorded 42X scale compared to last year, and we have brought 90 new cities into the Flipkart Minutes network," he said.
Gen Z, gadgets, and changing shopping habits
The other big story inside Flipkart Minutes' growth is who is doing the shopping and what they are buying. Gen Z has emerged as the fastest-growing customer segment and already accounts for over 40 per cent of the platform's overall customer base. But this generation is not just using Flipkart Minutes to top up on groceries; they are treating it as an on-demand shopping habit that extends to beauty, electronics, wellness, and lifestyle products.
That shift is reflected in the numbers. The average order value for fruits and vegetables grew 30 per cent, repeat purchases are up by over 20 per cent, and demand has spread across 250 categories well beyond daily essentials.
Beyond consumer behaviour, Flipkart Minutes has also been building out its ecosystem. The platform works with close to 500 direct-to-consumer brands and has connected over 3,000 farmers through its Samarth Krishi programme, linking agricultural producers directly to consumers. On the sustainability front, Flipkart doubled its electric vehicle fleet over the past year, with over 10 per cent of deliveries now powered by EVs and 20 per cent of customers opting for reusable bags.
Flipkart launched its quick commerce service, Flipkart Minutes, in August 2024. Now, almost two years later, the company has revealed that this service has crossed 1,000 micro fulfilment centres across 130 cities and over 8,000 pin codes. Flipkart says that its orders are growing five times compared to the previous year.
The company pointed out two forces in particular that are driving this growth. One, the rapid adoption of quick commerce by Gen Z consumers, and second, an unexpected surge in demand from smaller Indian cities that is reshaping how the industry thinks about growth.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 are behind the next wave
For a long time, quick commerce was largely seen as a convenience for metro city dwellers. Now things are changing. Flipkart claimed Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets have recorded a staggering 42 times scale compared to last year, with the platform expanding into 90 new cities over the past year alone. Cities like Ambala, Darbhanga, Jorhat, and Tenali are among the markets seeing strong demand momentum.
Hemant Badri, SVP and Head of Supply Chain at Flipkart Group, noted that the next phase of quick commerce growth will be driven by deeper reach and greater accessibility, rather than just doubling down on metros. "Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets have recorded 42X scale compared to last year, and we have brought 90 new cities into the Flipkart Minutes network," he said.
Gen Z, gadgets, and changing shopping habits
The other big story inside Flipkart Minutes' growth is who is doing the shopping and what they are buying. Gen Z has emerged as the fastest-growing customer segment and already accounts for over 40 per cent of the platform's overall customer base. But this generation is not just using Flipkart Minutes to top up on groceries; they are treating it as an on-demand shopping habit that extends to beauty, electronics, wellness, and lifestyle products.
That shift is reflected in the numbers. The average order value for fruits and vegetables grew 30 per cent, repeat purchases are up by over 20 per cent, and demand has spread across 250 categories well beyond daily essentials.
Beyond consumer behaviour, Flipkart Minutes has also been building out its ecosystem. The platform works with close to 500 direct-to-consumer brands and has connected over 3,000 farmers through its Samarth Krishi programme, linking agricultural producers directly to consumers. On the sustainability front, Flipkart doubled its electric vehicle fleet over the past year, with over 10 per cent of deliveries now powered by EVs and 20 per cent of customers opting for reusable bags.
