Merging into the fast lane

LATE-ENTRANT BIGBASKET IS BANKING ON QUALITY & ASSORTMENT TO CATCH UP

- CHRISTINA MONIZ

SOMETIMES THERE IS real value in not being the first. Or the second. Even the third. You have time to do your homework on the market you'll be addressing, decrypt the ecosystem, and identify the missed opportunities.

Tata Digital-owned BigBasket—which started the process to pivot from being a pure-play online grocery delivery platform to becoming a full-scale quick commerce platform only last year when 10-minute deliveries had become hygiene—is certainly hoping it would catch up if it didn't skimp on the basics of competitiveness. That is, offer great service and deliver on promises.

It does have a lot of catching up to do. Later-day entrants in the grocery delivery space are miles ahead in the q-commerce race. Zomato's (now Eternal) Blinkit controls 41% of the market, Zepto 25%, and Instamart 23%. Bigbasket has a measly 9%.

With the early movers controlling close to 90% of the q-commerce market, BigBasket has had no option but to step on the gas. The company started investing in larger dark stores, diversifying its category offerings, and leveraging partnerships with Tata brands to strengthen its position. Not only has it widened its dark store network to nearly 700 in 60 tier-I and II cities, it is also making a major marketing push to reflect its new delivery promise.