Ola begins pilot of quick grocery delivery service: Report

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Ola has started piloting a quick delivery service for items like grocery, personal care and pet care products in Bengaluru, making a foray into the quick commerce sector. The ride-hailing platform is starting a pilot of its ‘Ola Store’ in Bengaluru starting off with a few key localities, and then expand it across major cities in India in the coming months. The service is aimed at a under 15 minute delivery timeline. The service is available within the Ola app and is rolling out to select consumers in Bengaluru, according to PTI.

Q-Commerce expected to grow further

The agency said that customers will be able to order from an assortment of nearly 2,000 items across multiple categories which includes groceries, beverages, home and personal care as well as pet care products. Then, from dark stores strategically placed in key parts of the city, these products will be delivered.

Quick Commerce or Q-Commerce enables customers to get goods in small quantities in a shorter period of time. On the other hand, traditional e-commerce deliveries take a day or longer. Some of the players in the segment include Dunzo and Swiggy Instamart.

The Q-Commerce sector is expected to grow $ 5 billion by 2025 from the current $0.3 billion, according to a RedSeer report.

Big players like BigBasket and Grofers; and rise of instant delivery platforms that has allowed consumers to complete top-up or on-demand purchases within an hour of ordering, are helping the segment grow. Trends like shift in consumer behaviour from value seeking to convenience seeking has led to weekly, small-sized purchases compared to larger, monthly purchases.