FLIPKART OFFERS 90-MIN EXPRESS, HYPERLOCAL DELIVERIES

BENGALURU: Walmart Inc.-owned Flipkart on Tuesday launched a 90-minute hyperlocal delivery service for groceries and electronic products, among other items, in a challenge to Amazon’s Prime Now, which offers similar two-hour deliveries.

The Flipkart Quick service has started in parts of Bengaluru, and will be expanded to 4-5 major cities in the coming months, a company executive said. For a minimum delivery fee of ₹29, consumers can get deliveries in 90 minutes, or book a two-hour slot for deliveries later.

The model aims to tap new consumers by expanding access to products and enabling them to order from nearby Flipkart hubs. Flipkart has partnered with logistics firm Shadowfax and will also use its logistics arm, Ekart, to fulfil orders for Flipkart Quick.

The new business will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, launched on Tuesday, Flipkart will source directly from sellers and deliver to customers. In the next phase, Flipkart will enable or leverage the kirana ecosystem and onboard them.