When it says it is re-entering online shopping, Reliance Industries doesn't mean acquiring quick delivery platforms Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Septo and Tata Group's Bbinau. Reliance Retail, the company's retail arm, will reportedly not roll out a 10-minute delivery model like those of these platforms for its re-entry into the quick commerce initiative next month. Reliance Retail has formed an inter-departmental team to re-enter quick commerce. Reliance Retail's grocery business chief executive Damodar Mall, Jiomart chief executive Sandeep Varaganti and the senior team at corporate will join the team, which will expand as more categories are added. In 2020, Reliance entered the grocery-delivery space through Jiomart during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company followed the same model as Amazon and Flipkart and did not adopt same-day delivery model like Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart.
Potential Model of Reliance Retail
Reliance Retail, the country's largest retailer, is planning a 30-minute delivery model with a wider grocery assortment than existing quick-commerce companies. The products are planned to be delivered from Reliance's own stores and 20 lakh grocery stores. Such grocery stores, known as kiranas, are part of JioMart's partnership venture. They are related because they buy goods from the wholesale division of Reliance Retail. Not following a 10-minute delivery system like that operated by Blinkit or Instamart, the company will use technology platforms like FYND and Locus and optimize delivery routes to ensure orders arrive within 30 minutes, the report said.
Reliance Retail's quick commerce venture will initially sell only groceries. In the near future, the company plans to add a quick delivery system for apparel and electronics using Reliance Retail's more than 19,000 stores. According to reports, a research conducted by the കമ്പനി found that customers are willing to wait for most of the goods rather than getting the goods in 10 minutes. Reliance's customers will benefit from a wide range of products and deals. Reliance's venture is said to expand across India, not just the top 8-10 cities where current quick-commerce companies focus.
Jiomart's New Launch Timeline
Reliance's initiative will begin next month in eight cities including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The company has initially named the project 'Jiomart Express', which integrates into the existing Jiomart app. In 2023, Reliance had tried a pilot project of this project in Navi Mumbai under the name Jio Mart Express. But Reliance says the reason for the hold-up was the high delivery charges even for small retail.
Reliance Retail is not the only one looking into the quick commerce space. Earlier this year, there were reports that Reliance Retail-backed hyperlocal delivery startup Danzo was in talks with Flipkart to acquire it. But it is indicated that the negotiations did not succeed.
