This Diwali, q-commerce cos set for a strategic showdown

Swiggy, Zepto and BigBasket are using the festival shopping rush to push their own brands

- Sowmya Ramasubramanian

For Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, and the Tata group's BigBasket, this year's festive season isn't just about bigger baskets and last-minute gifting. The quick-commerce platforms are using the high-spending period to double down on a strategy that could give them an edge.

While Swiggy and Zepto are aggressively pushing their own brands of ready-to-eat snacks and home essentials, BigBasket is ramping up its Fresho and BB Royal lines of fresh produce and staples, industry executives told Mint.

Such in-house brands or private labels are often sold at lower prices but contribute higher revenues given their higher margins.

The festive season, typically dominated by big-ticket purchases, also sees consumers experimenting with new brands, making the private label push timely and strategic.

Instamart's snacking brand Noice has quickly scaled up since its launch a few months ago, offering over 200 products across 13 categories including sweets, quick bites, breads and juices. Swiggy is working to introduce more regional food items such as Lonavala chikki and Himalayan farm honey to keep up with gifting demands during Diwali and Dussehra, said two persons in the know.