📌 Why I Created This Case Study
As an aspiring Product Manager, I created this case study to understand the growing competition in the quick commerce and online grocery delivery market in India. My goal is to analyze six major players — Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, JioMart, and Swiggy — from a product management perspective.
I want to study:
What makes each app unique
How they solve user problems
What can be improved in their product experience
Through this study, I aim to demonstrate my skills in:
Market research
Competitive analysis
User-centric thinking
Giving actionable product recommendations
The Rise of Quick Commerce in India
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a huge change in how people in India shop for everyday essentials. Whether it’s groceries, snacks, or even a single packet of milk — people now want everything delivered fast, sometimes in just 10 minutes!
That’s where apps like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart have entered the picture. These quick commerce platforms are focusing on ultra-fast deliveries, especially in busy cities. On the other hand, BigBasket and JioMart follow a more traditional model, offering scheduled deliveries and larger variety for family or monthly needs.
India’s grocery market is massive — and with rising demand for convenience, there’s a huge opportunity in this space. That’s what made me curious to compare these platforms from a product management lens — to understand what’s working, what’s not, and where there’s room to improve.
🔍 Quick Look at the Competitors
To get started, I picked six big players in the quick grocery and delivery space in India:
Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, JioMart, and Swiggy (for food delivery).
Here’s why I chose them:
Zepto & Blinkit: They’re leading the super-fast delivery race, promising 10-minute delivery in many cities.
Swiggy Instamart: Swiggy’s quick commerce arm, leveraging its strong delivery network.
BigBasket: India’s oldest and biggest online grocery store, known for a wide product range and reliability.
JioMart: Backed by Reliance, with a vast offline-online presence and competitive pricing.
Swiggy (Food Delivery): Including it here because many users use Swiggy for both groceries and food, so it’s part of the ecosystem.
What I looked at for each app:
How fast they deliver
What kind of products do they offer
App experience (design, ease of use)
Pricing and offers
Availability in cities
I’ll investigate these later, but I wanted to share the overview first.
How Do These Apps Compare?
After trying out and researching these apps, here’s what I found about each in a few important areas:
Comparison Table
| Feature | Zepto | Blinkit | Swiggy Instamart | BigBasket | JioMart | Swiggy (Food Delivery) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery Time | ~10-15 minutes | ~10-15 minutes | 15-30 minutes | 1-2 days | 1-3 days | 30-45 minutes |
| Product Range | Daily essentials, snacks, fresh food | Similar to Zepto | Groceries + food essentials | Huge variety (groceries, home products) | Large variety, local kirana too | Food from restaurants |
| App Experience | Clean, simple, fast | Bright, easy, fast | Integrated with Swiggy app | Detailed, sometimes complex | Simple, growing | Food ordering focus |
| Pricing | Competitive, often cheaper | Similar pricing | Slightly higher sometimes | Slightly premium | Affordable, discounts | Restaurant pricing |
| Coverage | Major metro cities | Major metro cities | Many metros and cities | Pan-India | Pan-India | Pan-India |
🧐 User Perspective and Pain Points
To understand these apps, I put myself in the shoes of different users — from busy working professionals to families planning their weekly groceries.
Here’s what I noticed:
Zepto & Blinkit users:
Love the super-fast delivery, especially when you need something urgently.
Sometimes face limited product variety compared to bigger apps.
The app is simple, so ordering is quick and easy.
Occasionally, they face stockouts or unavailable items during peak times.
Swiggy Instamart users:
Benefit from the wide Swiggy delivery network, which is reliable.
Delivery is fast, but not always in the promised 10-15 minutes.
The app experience is great since it’s integrated with Swiggy’s food delivery.
Pricing can be a bit higher, which some users feel.
BigBasket & JioMart users:
Prefer these apps for bulk shopping and a wider product range.
Delivery times are longer (usually a day or two).
Pricing is often competitive, especially with JioMart’s local kirana network.
Some users feel the apps are a bit clunky or not as smooth as quick commerce apps.
Swiggy Food Delivery users:
Mainly use Swiggy for restaurant food.
Some also order groceries via Instamart, but food remains the primary reason.
Delivery times vary depending on the restaurant.
What I learned here:
Every app has its strengths and weaknesses depending on the user’s needs. The quick commerce apps are great for speed, while the others are better for variety and bulk buying.
⭐ Key Product Features and What Makes Each App Unique
Let’s now focus on the special features and strengths that each app offers — what makes them stand out in the crowded market.
Zepto
Ultra-fast 10-minute delivery using strategically located dark stores.
Focus on essential daily items for quick grabs.
Simple app design focused on speed and ease.
Blinkit
Also promises super-fast delivery (~10-15 mins).
Uses real-time inventory updates to avoid disappointments.
Bright, user-friendly app with easy reordering options.
Swiggy Instamart
Integrated into Swiggy’s main app, letting users order groceries and food together.
Offers multiple delivery time slots for flexibility.
Real-time order tracking with strong logistics support.
BigBasket
Huge product variety, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and household items.
Allows scheduled deliveries and subscriptions for convenience.
Strong focus on product quality with trusted vendors.
JioMart
Combines online orders with local kirana stores, helping small retailers.
Competitive pricing with frequent offers.
Growing app with plans to improve user experience continuously.
Swiggy Food Delivery
Focused mainly on restaurant food delivery with wide coverage.
Expanding grocery delivery via Instamart.
Multiple payment options and loyalty rewards.
⚠️ Challenges and Opportunities
Every app faces some challenges, but with challenges come chances to grow and improve. Here’s what I found for these apps:
Challenges
Zepto & Blinkit:
Maintaining super-fast delivery is tough, especially during peak hours or in smaller cities.
Limited product variety compared to bigger grocery apps.
Risk of stockouts because of fast-moving inventory.
Swiggy Instamart:
Delivery times can be inconsistent because of traffic and busy restaurants.
Slightly higher prices may turn off budget shoppers.
Balancing grocery and food delivery in one app can sometimes confuse users.
BigBasket:
Longer delivery times (usually 1-2 days) make it less appealing for urgent needs.
App experience can feel slow or complicated for some users.
Competition from faster quick-commerce apps.
JioMart:
User experience is still improving; app can be buggy or slow at times.
Reliance on kirana stores means quality and stock can vary by location.
Needs to build stronger brand trust and awareness.
Swiggy Food Delivery:
Delivery depends on restaurant partners, so quality and timing vary.
Mostly focused on food, grocery services are still expanding.
Opportunities
For Zepto & Blinkit:
Expand to more cities and add more product variety.
Use better inventory forecasting to reduce stockouts.
Introduce subscription models for daily essentials.
For Swiggy Instamart:
Improve delivery time consistency with better logistics.
Offer more discounts and loyalty rewards.
Educate users on the benefits of combined food and grocery ordering.
For BigBasket:
Enhance app speed and usability.
Add faster delivery options for urgent orders.
Promote subscription and bulk-buying benefits more.
For JioMart:
Improve app stability and user experience.
Strengthen relationships with kirana stores for quality assurance.
Increase marketing to boost brand presence.
For Swiggy Food Delivery:
Grow grocery delivery through Instamart integration.
Focus on improving food delivery quality and speed.
What I realized:
Challenges are natural for any product, but spotting opportunities to fix them is what makes a product manager’s role exciting! Each app can improve in different ways to serve users better and grow faster.
💡 Recommendations and Improvements
Based on what I’ve seen and learned, here are some ideas that could help these apps become even better:
Zepto & Blinkit
Add more variety beyond daily essentials to keep users coming back.
Introduce a loyalty program or subscription for frequent buyers.
Improve inventory forecasting to reduce stockouts and disappointments.
Swiggy Instamart
Work on making delivery times more consistent—maybe by optimizing delivery routes better.
Offer combo deals for groceries + food to encourage more orders.
Simplify the app navigation so grocery ordering feels seamless alongside food.
BigBasket
Introduce express delivery options for users who want groceries quickly.
Refresh the app interface for a smoother, faster experience.
Promote subscription options more aggressively to build customer loyalty.
JioMart
Focus on strengthening app stability and speed.
Improve quality control by closely working with kirana partners.
Increase marketing efforts to build awareness and trust in more cities.
Swiggy Food Delivery
Continue expanding Instamart grocery services within the main app.
Enhance customer support for order issues to build trust.
Keep innovating with delivery options (contactless, faster deliveries).
Final thought:
Every app has room to grow, and smart improvements can turn occasional users into loyal fans. As a product manager, spotting these opportunities is key to creating products that users love.
🎯 Conclusion and Summary
To wrap it up, all these apps — Zepto, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, JioMart, and Swiggy Food Delivery — have their own strengths and challenges.
Zepto and Blinkit are great for super-fast delivery but need to expand product range.
Swiggy Instamart offers convenience by combining food and groceries, though delivery timing can improve.
BigBasket shines with variety and quality but can work on speed.
JioMart has the advantage of connecting local kiranas but needs to enhance app experience and build trust.
Swiggy Food Delivery leads in food delivery and is growing in groceries.
As an Aspiring product manager, I see a huge opportunity in this space to keep innovating, improving user experience, and balancing speed with variety and quality.
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