Quick-commerce firms eye 30-minute delivery for large appliances

Quick-commerce platforms are moving beyond groceries and snack-size items, seeking to bring large appliances such as refrigerators, televisions, washing machines and microwave ovens to customers within 30 minutes. Industry insiders say firms like Swiggy Instamart and Eternal’s Blinkit are negotiating with manufacturers to enter the segment, while established e-commerce giants are also accelerating delivery speeds. ## Pilots and delivery promises Walmart-owned Flipkart has begun two-hour delivery trials for large appliances in roughly a dozen cities, offering installation in certain cases through its own teams. Historically, such items required a day or more for delivery, with same-day or next-day options limited to a few locations. Similar two-hour ambitions are being explored by Amazon and Reliance Retail’s JioMart, according to executives from the sector. ## Manufacturer involvement and service coordination Sanjay Chitkara, director at LG Electronics India, noted that quick-commerce sales would need coordinated service for faster installations and that operators, including Swiggy, have approached LG to discuss opportunities. Kamal Nandi, head of appliances at Godrej Enterprises Group, echoed the sentiment, saying e-commerce platforms are looking at two-hour delivery across their ranges and that same-day installation could be offered in select pin codes. ## Past attempts and current focus Earlier rapid-delivery experiments for large appliances have seen limited success. Blinkit’s 10-minute delivery of Lloyd air conditioners in Delhi-NCR last year failed to generate significant demand, and most fast-delivery services have remained confined to “grab-and-go” items such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, headphones and accessories. ## Shifting consumer expectations Quick-commerce firms now account for 7-8 % of FMCG sales at many large companies, prompting them to look beyond fast-moving consumer goods to boost average order values and margins. Rather than building dedicated dark stores for big appliances, companies are evaluating models that leverage manufacturers’ warehouses and existing retail locations, potentially lowering real-estate costs while expanding product availability. An executive from a major e-commerce player warned that the rise of quick-commerce has raised consumer expectations for delivery speed, creating pressure to extend rapid delivery across more product categories. While the pilots are still in early stages, the industry’s push for ultra-fast delivery of large appliances signals a notable shift in the retail landscape. *Flipkart, Amazon, Reliance Retail, Swiggy and Eternal did not respond to email queries.*