Matter of Minutes: How D2C Brands Can Win the Quick Commerce Game

The pandemic has split human civilization into two distinct phases. If pre-Covid was about pacing up along a known track, then post-Covid has been about zooming into uncharted territories. After we wriggled out of the restrictions, there was a frenetic rush to revive both in lives as well as in businesses, and the world embraced New Normal. 

India, the fifth-largest economy and home to over 1.4 Bn people, stood at the heart of this global transition, with its retail market growing at the fastest clip across the world. 

The government’s push for financial inclusion and the transformative rise of fintechs has positioned the Indian consumer at the best spot to try out solutions that could make their lives safer, simpler and, of course, smarter. This was the inflection point for the origin and growth of quick commerce. Once the consumer got the taste of its speed and convenience, there was no turning back. 

Quick commerce zoomed to incredible heights in sync with the speed with which it delivers products to consumers and its overall revenue surpassed $4.2 Bn between 2021 and 2023. The disruption expanded from metros to tier II cities, deepening the penetration rate to 2.7% by 2025 and yielding room for new players. Quick commerce companies gave marketplaces & direct-to-consumer (D2C) players a run for their money with speed being their main selling point. 

The urban Indian consumer is not only spoilt for choice now, but is also pampered with doorstep delivery in minutes. Initially limited to groceries and daily essentials, the influence of 10-minute delivery models has now expanded into categories like electronics, personal care, and even fashion. 

Most new-age D2C brands are unable to list themselves on the popular 10-minute delivery platforms because of limited resources and the lack of bargaining power. As a result, selected omnichannel FMCG majors and category-leading companies are firming up their presence further on quick delivery apps, taking a larger chunk of the pie and eventually hurting sales of other  brands. 

This is leading brands to reinvent their logistics and adopt strategies that prioritise speed and efficiency to meet the evolving customer expectations in this fast-paced market. While building the supply chain is completely out of the question for early-stage companies, finding the right channel to reach customers faster could be a make-or-break deal. 

A fear of missing out seeped into D2C brands as they raced against the quick commerce companies. 

Platforms like Zippee saw the sweet spot in solving this niche problem for D2C businesses by helping them deliver their products directly to customers within hours. Instead of paying high commissions on sales to list on popular quick commerce platforms, the D2C brands are increasingly integrating Zippee into their supply chain.

Towards Greater Customer Experience

D2C brands traditionally relied on third-party courier  services which are generally ill-equipped for redefined expedited timelines. Most of the companies recorded a rise in drop-offs and non-delivery reports (NDR) along with high rate of return-to-origin (RTO) due to long delivery periods. Sales went downhill as buyers turned reluctant to wait for 4 to 10 days to get their products. 

Besides logistics, managing inventory across multiple locations to ensure proximity to customers is a challenge as it comes with its technical complications and adds to the cost. 

Enablers like Zippee help brands address these challenges by enabling 120-min & same-day delivery, which can significantly reduce NDRs and RTO rates. By executing orders directly through a brand’s D2C channel, they allow brands to retain customer data— an advantage that is often lost when selling through quick commerce platforms or third-party marketplaces.

For snacking giant Mondelez India, speed and reliability play a crucial role in transforming how they serve their Cadbury Gifting customers.

A Mondelez India spokesperson, explains “With quick commerce now offering gifting products, consumer expectations on delivery speeds have changed. So naturally, speed has been a critical element of our value proposition at Cadbury Joy Deliveries, as last-minute gifting continues to grow. It will be pertinent to maintain a competitive delivery speed & experience to drive long term growth for cadburygifting.in.”

Zippee’s WhatsApp tool enables real-time order tracking, improving WISMO (where-is-my-order) rates. Its cash-on-delivery (COD) verification flow prompts customers to reconfirm orders before dispatch, helping brands reduce logistics costs.

Operating in 13 cities and 1,000+ pin codes, Zippee uses dark stores and last-mile fleets to streamline deliveries. Its tech stack integrates with brands’ existing online stores, giving them full control over sales, marketing, and customer data. A centralized dashboard allows brands to track everything from order confirmations to live delivery updates—without disrupting core operations.

Brands on Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart-Myntra, and AJIO can integrate Zippee through a simple plug-and-play model to sync orders, catalogs, and inventories.

The startup delivers more than 3 lakh shipments every month for brands across F&B, beauty personal care, & apparel including Epigamia, Clinikally, Frido, Mondelez, mosaic wellness, Masterchow and krishna’s herbal.

Despite its advantages, the rapid growth of Zippee and similar logistics enablers raises the question: Can such models truly level the playing field for D2C brands?

While enablers have played a role in improving conversion rates for many brands, their broader impact, particularly on smaller players, remains an area of debate.

As Madhav Kasturia, founder & CEO of Zippee puts it, “Consumers love it. Brands love it even more—because they get to offset CAC more sustainably. We’re solving the most-pressing Q-comm painpoints— by building products from the ground-up. How do I know it’s working? Several Indian consumer brands started off as our customers, saw the impact first-hand, and their founders ended up becoming investors in Zippee.”

Road Ahead for Quick Commerce And D2C

As quick commerce giants like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart continue to expand aggressively, they are reshaping consumer behavior and setting new expectations for delivery speed and efficiency. While this shift presents growth opportunities, it also creates pressure on D2C brands to meet the rising demand for faster deliveries. Logistics is increasingly becoming a critical factor in customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Many D2C brands listed on quick commerce platforms are facing challenges with fulfilling and replenishing orders to their dark stores and central distribution hubs on time. App stockouts and delays in replenishment hurt customer experience and undermine brand trust- which are missed opportunity costs for the brands.

According to Inc42, India’s D2C market is expected to reach $300 Bn by 2030, fueled by innovation and new brands entering the space. To remain competitive, D2C brands must adapt to new delivery standards, ensuring speed and efficiency are embedded in their strategies. Today, success for D2C brands hinges on three core pillars—product, price, and logistics— underpinned by a robust tech stack.

For Allter, a fast-growing babycare brand, quick commerce plays a vital role, but it’s not their only focus.

“We’re active across all major quick commerce platforms, but having a direct channel with our community of young parents is crucial to our strategy. Enablers like Zippee help us bridge the gap, offering the speed of quick commerce while preserving a relationship with our customers,” says Surbhi Gupta, founder of Allter.

Enablers help brands navigate this evolving landscape, allowing them to meet quick commerce expectations while maintaining control over customer experience, marketing, and logistics costs. Growing dark store networks and efficient last-mile delivery are key to reducing return rates, increasing conversion, and fostering repeat purchases.

As two of India’s fastest-growing sectors, quick commerce and D2C continue to evolve, logistics innovation will be critical in shaping brand success. Startups like Zippee are working to address fulfillment challenges, but the real test lies in how these models scale sustainably. What’s clear is that the quick commerce opportunity is still unfolding— and its long-term impact on the ecosystem could be far greater than projected.