Flipkart and Amazon Ramp Up Dark Store Expansion in India's Fierce Quick Commerce Battle

E-commerce powerhouses Flipkart and Amazon are rapidly scaling their quick commerce networks in India by aggressively adding dark stores.

This expansion coincides with quick commerce pioneers like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart slowing growth to focus on profitability.

Flipkart Minutes Surges Ahead

Flipkart's Minutes platform, launched in August 2024, has been adding approximately 100 dark stores monthly this year.

Currently operating 750-800 dark stores, Minutes targets 1,200 facilities by mid-2026.

The service is live in 70 cities and plans to expand to 250 cities by June.

It achieves 1,000-1,100 orders per dark store daily, with 16-18% month-on-month growth.

Amazon Now Intensifies Push

Amazon is accelerating its Now quick commerce service, opening two new dark stores daily since December.

Poised to reach 500 dark stores soon, Amazon Now handles 300,000-350,000 orders per day.

India's quick commerce sector, now 40% of online grocery sales, is set for explosive growth to billions in value.

Historically, startups dominated post-2022, but e-commerce giants leverage scale to challenge leaders.