From rare to well-done

FOR ONLINE FRESH MEAT DELIVERY SHOPS, THE PIVOT TO OFFLINE RETAIL HAS BECOME THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SURVIVAL AND EXTINCTION

- ANEES HUSSAIN

THE ONCE-HOT MEAT delivery sector is undergoing a brutal reckoning. After years of burning investor capital chasing online growth, India's meat startups are discovering consumers still want to"see" and "trust" their meat before buying it. The pivot to offline retail while also ensuring speed in online delivery has become the difference between survival and extinction.

But here's the uncomfortable truth: Online meat delivery still accounts for a measely 0.5% of India's total meat market. After a decade of venture capital, slick apps, and promises of disruption, the neighborhood butcher still commands 99.5% of the market.

The math explains why. Customer acquisition costs remain punishingly high. Getting someone to try buying meat online for the first time isn't cheap. Delivery costs hover around ₹100 per order, eating into already thin margins of 30-40% in direct-to-consumer channels at best, and below 10% in third-party marketplace channels where competition from quick commerce's own private labels and wholesale networks is fierce.