'We are scaling up expansion at Flipkart Minutes'

Flipkart Minutes, the quick commerce arm of Flipkart, plans to add around 500 new dark stores in the next three months.

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Hemant Badri, senior vicepresident and head of supply chain, customer experience & recommerce, and Bharath Chinamanthur, SVP - supply chain innovation and seller experience, shared the company's plans with Yarughullah Khan & Anees Hussain. Excerpts:

Flipkart had a target of 800 dark stores by the end of 2025.Is it on track?

Yes, we are on track to meet the target of 800 dark stores, and now we plan to grow it to about 1,000 by March-April. The network already spans roughly 3,000 pincodes across 32 cities, with ambitions to reach 75-80 cities as expansion accelerates.

How does Flipkart design the size and assortment of its dark stores?

Dark-store size and inventory are tailored by city, often ranging from 4,500 to 5,000 square feet in tier 2/3 locations to accommodate a wider selection. The assortment is driven by local buying and search behaviour, ensuring each pin code carries the specific vegetables, grains, rice, milk, and regional brands that residents actually consume.