Walmart-backed Flipkart expands quick-commerce push as Amazon ramps up in India
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- Flipkart Minutes has built a network of 1,000 micro-fulfillment centers less than two years after its August 2024 launch, with plans to reach 1,500 by end of 2026.
- Per a Jefferies note, Flipkart could emerge as India's second-largest quick-commerce network by micro-fulfillment center count, behind Blinkit's 2,243 centers, as Zepto and Swiggy Instamart also expand.
- Amazon Now is live in more than 15 cities with over 500 micro-fulfillment centers and plans to expand to 100 cities with more than 1,000 centers, broadening from groceries into apparel, electronics, and home products.
- Flipkart Minutes orders grew about 400% year-over-year with customer retention up 20%, according to head Kunal Gupta, with demand shifting beyond groceries into electronics, beauty, and personal care.
- Flipkart has expanded Minutes to more than 130 cities and 8,000 postal codes, with smaller markets recording more than 4,000% growth year-over-year after expansion into 90 new cities.
- Per Bernstein, India already has more than 5,500 dark stores, with industry analysts expecting the count to rise to roughly 7,500 by 2030.
- Flipkart plans to open 75 to 100 micro-fulfillment centers per month going forward, with Gupta saying the company is "going all in."
Why it matters: Flipkart's planned 1,500-center footprint by end of 2026 would outpace Amazon's announced 1,000-center Amazon Now target and could push Flipkart past Zepto and Swiggy Instamart to become the clear No. 2 behind Blinkit's 2,243 centers — meaningful in a market Bernstein expects to grow from 5,500 to 7,500 dark stores by 2030.
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