Instant grocery delivery is going luxe to stand out

Blinkit joins the race as it expands to ozone-washed fruits and artisanal breads to cheese

- Sowmya Ramasubramanian

Gourmet items are typically priced 20-30% higher than mass-market goods.

(ISTOCKPHOTO)

With speed no longer a differentiator, grocery-delivery platforms are now serving indulgence, freshness and aspiration—instantly.

From gourmet fruits to ozone-washed greens to artisanal sourdoughs, quick commerce is moving upmarket in search of high-end, better-paying customers to boost their margins.

The latest to join the sprint is food-delivery giant Zomato-owned Blinkit, which is looking to expand its fresh range to include ozone-washed fruits and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-certified produce, as well as handpicked bread and cheese imported from Europe, two people close to the development told Mint.

HACCP is a science-based system to control food safety hazards, widely adopted by national regulators.

Doing so will help the platform increase margins and the basket size, they explained.