The 10-Minute Fashion Fix: Are Quick Commerce Solving Real Problems or Creating New Ones?

Ever found yourself in desperate need of a new outfit or shoes only to wish you could return or exchange them in 10 minutes? Well, quick commerce startups are turning this dream into reality. However, while these super-fast delivery and return services may seem like a game-changer for convenience, they could also bring unintended consequences.

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First, it was groceries, then electronics, and now, fashion products in just 10 minutes? What’s next for quick commerce in India?

In July 2024, quick commerce startups like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart began expanding their services to include apparel and lifestyle products from popular retailers such as FabIndia, Puma, and Woodland. Initially, these new offerings had a significant drawback: no return policy, a major issue for online fashion shoppers.

According to industry estimates, around 25-30% of online fashion orders are returned, primarily due to issues with fit and sizing. Therefore, recognising the critical need for return and exchange options, quick commerce startups are now pushing the boundaries of what was previously unimaginable – quick return.

For instance, Zomato-owned Blinkit is now testing a groundbreaking feature: 10-minute returns and exchanges for apparel, footwear, and other lifestyle items like handbags.

Although this 10-minute returns and exchanges option on the Blinkit platform is a game-changer for its customers, it is a real threat to e-commerce giants like Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra. As a result, this development is set to reshape the competitive landscape of online retail in India.

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It is important to note that Zomato Blinkit is not the only player making waves in the super-fast exchange and return of lifestyle items.

Zepto is also reportedly offering a 72-hour exchange policy for apparels that are damaged or defective. However, this approach addresses only key pain points for online fashion shoppers who also need a safety net when their purchases don’t meet expectations in terms of likeness or fitting.

Some quick commerce companies are even signing separate agreements with physical stores, allowing customers to return products purchased online at authorized retail outlets. This hybrid approach is designed to tackle the high return rates typical in online fashion shopping.

What’s noteworthy is that the rapid delivery of fashion products is not just restricted to the large quick commerce players. A Bengaluru-based startup, Slikk, has entered the fray, offering 60-minute deliveries of an extensive range of fashion items, including shirts, jackets, hoodies, trousers, women’s dresses, and nightwear.

Slikk, known as India’s first genz fashion and beauty marketplace, has recently raised $300,000 in seed funding from Vaibhav Domkundwar’s Better Capital to expand its operations and enhance its brand portfolio by establishing large-format dark stores.

The 10-minute delivery promise for fashion items by quick commerce companies has sparked critical questions:

  1. Do people even need this level of speed for clothing and lifestyle products?
  2. Why are these quick commerce companies solving a problem that is not even a problem?

The Challenges Ahead

The super-fast delivery and return services for fashion products may seem like a game-changer for convenience, but they could also lead to unintended consequences.

With the ease of returning or exchanging items in mere minutes, customers may become more prone to impulsive buying. The mindset of “I’ll buy now and decide later” could flourish, knowing that the hassle of returns has been minimized. This may result in a flood of returned clothes, shoes, and accessories, placing additional logistical pressure on companies. Reverse logistics, the process of handling returns, requires extra transportation, storage, and reprocessing — all of which add to operational costs and environmental impact.

Also, the sustainability of this model is a growing concern. While quick commerce is built on fulfilling immediate consumer needs, the focus on fast fashion delivery might promote overconsumption. Constant returns not only stretch resources but also contribute to waste and carbon emissions. For an industry already criticized for its environmental footprint, such practices could amplify the negative impacts.

For now, fashion in the quick commerce sector primarily addresses urgent needs. The SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) variety is kept minimal, as consumers typically seek basic items like undergarments, flip-flops, or casual clothing within 10 minutes.

A senior quick commerce executive pointed out that there’s currently no need for large dark stores stocking extensive product ranges. However, this may change during festivals or peak seasons, when demand for seasonal items like kurtas, saris, and ethnic wear rises.

According to a recent Elara Capital report, Blinkit’s non-food category, including apparel and lifestyle products, now makes up 40% of its offerings, compared to 33% for Swiggy Instamart. Blinkit has 22,000 stock-keeping units (SKUs), surpassing Instamart’s 17,000.

Quick Commerce Replacing E-commerce Completely?

The rise of quick commerce is undoubtedly shaking up the dominance of India’s e-commerce giants, such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Nykaa. Even though these platforms have long thrived on extensive product ranges, convenience, and competitive pricing, the instant delivery of quick commerce taps into the modern consumer’s craving for speed.

People are becoming accustomed to getting groceries, electronics, and now fashion items delivered within minutes.

But can quick commerce completely replace traditional e-commerce?

The short answer is: unlikely – at least not yet.

Platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra offer a far greater range of products, along with robust and customer-friendly return policies, detailed authentic reviews, and a shopping experience suited for browsing and discovery.

Quick commerce, on the other hand, is more focused on immediate needs – what you might need “in 10 minutes.”

The current fashion and lifestyle selection in quick commerce is limited, and the model is not yet designed for more thoughtful or high-value purchases. Still, the disruption is undeniable.

Therefore, e-commerce majors like Amazon, Flipkart, Reliance, etc., have already started working on their super-fast delivery solutions to keep pace with this new demand for speed. In fact, Amazon is reportedly in talks with Swiggy to acquire its Instamart service, signalling just how serious the company is about entering the instant delivery space.

Market research suggests that the Indian apparel market is estimated to reach $105.50 billion by the end of 2024, with the fast fashion segment growing from $9.90 billion in 2023 to $28.84 billion by 2030. This rapid growth highlights a big window of opportunity for companies tapping into the quick commerce sector.

Even though quick commerce may not entirely replace traditional e-commerce, it’s certainly reshaping the future of retail in India.

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