Distributors’ Body Flags Use Of Private Vehicles By Ecommerce, Quick Commerce Players

The All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF), which represents the distributors of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) distributors, has raised concerns over the delivery practices of quick commerce and ecommerce players in India.

The AICPDF has written to the road transport ministry and the health ministry, seeking an inquiry into the use of private vehicles by these companies for commercial deliveries, Business Standard reported.

The Federation pointed out that many quick commerce and ecommerce companies frequently rely on private vehicles for deliveries of food items, which is in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.

“These standards are critical to prevent contamination and ensure that consumers receive safe and hygienically-handled food. However, the widespread use of private-owned two-wheelers by delivery personnel raises concerns about the adequacy of these vehicles to maintain the required food safety standards,” the report quoted the AICPDF as saying in its letter to the health ministry.

In its complaint to the road transport ministry, the Federation said that the use of private vehicles raises significant safety concerns. It said that these vehicles may not be sufficiently insured or maintained to meet the standards required for commercial operations. 

However, this is not the first time that the AICPDF has expressed concerns about quick commerce. In August, it wrote to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry seeking a probe into the rapid growth of quick commerce. 

Raising concerns over the compliance of the quick commerce companies with the country’s FDI norms, it urged union minister Piyush Goyal to regulate quick commerce players to protect small retailers. 

Following this, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) referred the complaint to the Competition Commission of India.

While the ecommerce sector has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade in the country, quick commerce has been seeing a rapid rise in popularity over the last 2-3 years, especially in metro cities. This has pitted the likes of ecommerce players like Amazon and Meesho against quick commerce players like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto. 

However, both the sectors are also facing increasing regulatory scrutiny. While quick commerce companies are under the lens for not abiding by the rules mandating display of expiry and best before dates, the ecommerce players are likely to face the heat for flouting dark pattern regulations.