India is a land of festivals, and these festivals typically drive huge demand for food, groceries and various other products ordered through e-commerce platforms. Interestingly, Holi, this year’s first biggest festival celebrated on Monday, 25 March 2024, triggered a record surge in orders across prominent quick-commerce platforms like Zomato‘s Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart. The spike in orders was particularly notable for Holi essentials such as colours (Gulaal), sweets, playful Pichkaris, flowers and food items.
Moreover, there was significant demand for white T-shirts, a staple for playing Holi, and coconut oil among consumers.
Zomato’s Blinkit typically processes approximately 600,000 orders on a standard business day. On the other hand, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto handle around 550,000 and 500,000 orders daily, respectively.
However, on the day of Holi, Swiggy Instamart was anticipated to exceed 700,000 orders in a single day, marking a record high, as reported by insiders. Similarly, Zepto was expected to surpass 600,000 orders on this significant occasion, representing a noteworthy milestone, according to information provided by a spokesperson.
Order Suge During Holi: Insights from Industry Leaders
Albinder Dhindsa, the co-founder and CEO of Blinkit, disclosed that the platform achieved its highest Order Volume per Minute (OPM) on the day before Holi. On the X platform, he mentioned that they are on course to surpass their all-time high order record from Valentine’s Day this year, although specifics were not provided.
Phani Kishan Addepalli, the cofounder of Swiggy and head of Instamart, revealed that the sales of flowers on Instamart had quintupled compared to Holi last year, without divulging exact figures.
On the X platform, Kishan Addepalli revealed that a customer from Gurugram ordered Holi essentials worth ₹5,202, which included water guns, Pichkaris, and Gulaal.
Kishan Addepalli also mentioned that nearly every Swiggy Instamart order placed on Holi day included a packet of Gulaal. He further added that in Bangalore, one in every seven orders and in Mumbai, one in every five orders included a Pichkaris. What’s more interesting is that Gulaal orders began streaming in as early as 6 am, reaching a peak of 444 Gulals per minute observed on the platform until 10 am.
Aadit Palicha, Zepto’s co-founder and CEO, highlighted on the X platform that the platform witnessed purchases of items such as white T-shirts during Holi, showcasing the growing recognition of Zepto’s versatility beyond daily grocery needs. Palicha also shared a screenshot demonstrating a surge in sales of juices and mixers on March 25 as customers engaged in house parties, expressing surprise at these ongoing sales trends.
Indian festival days are increasingly becoming lucrative opportunities for quick commerce firms, as they continually set new order records. For instance, on Valentine’s Day, February 14, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Zomato-owned Blinkit each achieved their highest-ever single-day sales, surpassing the peaks reached on New Year’s Eve. This trend is prompting quick commerce firms to expand their product offerings to rival those of e-commerce giants like Flipkart and Amazon. From fashion and beauty to electronics, toys, and home and kitchen essentials, these companies are catering to a broader spectrum of consumer demands.
Surge In Food Orders on Holi
In addition to Holi-related items, Indians also turn to online food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato for their culinary delights.
Rohit Kapoor, the CEO of Swiggy’s food marketplace, shared on X platform the surge in orders for traditional treats like Gujia and Thandai. Kapoor further highlighted a notable instance where a user from Lucknow spent a whopping Rs 28,830 on Gujiyas ordered from Swiggy for their Holi celebrations, expressing his envy for such an epic Holi party.
India is the fastest-growing market for e-commerce, and there is a big window of opportunity for established and emerging players to capture the attention of customers in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. The demand for food, groceries, and assorted items remains consistently high across the country. Due to increased purchasing power, people are not hesitant to spend thousands or lakhs, especially during festive seasons.
With the continued growth and dominance of key players like Swiggy, Zomato and Zepto, the future of online food and grocery delivery in India appears highly promising, offering even greater convenience and choice to consumers nationwide. What did you order from these online food and grocery delivery platforms during Holi? Share your festive shopping experience with us!
