Discounts, nudges, added fees: Qcom quietly making customers pay more

Quick-commerce (qcom) platforms are nudging customers to spend more through steeper discounts on expensive items, subtle in-app prompts, and layered service fees, all aimed at increasing average order values (AOV) and making deliveries more cost-effective.

- UDISHA SRIVASTAV

According to a June report by JM Financial, qcom platforms (qcom) are increasingly steering users toward higher-priced stock-keeping units (SKUs) and larger basket sizes.

Customers in five metro cities received two to three times more discounts on SKUs with a maximum retail price (MRP) above ₹200 compared to lower-priced items, the report noted.

Anish Srivastava, senior vice-president at Blinkit, said the shift towards higher-priced SKUs is primarily driven by changing consumer demand.

"Nowadays, you have customers searching for air conditioners and refrigerators on the platform. So, at the end of the day, it is becoming more about what customers are searching for and how we can best serve those specific things, and that ends up being a lot of non-grocery-first SKUs," Srivastava told Business Standard on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi recently.

He further added, "If you are able to serve more of that demand, you get more of their baskets. It's a win-win for everyone. We make more money, and consumers are satisfied."