New Delhi, April 7 – More than 70 per cent of consumers said they would continue using quick commerce platforms even if discounts were reduced, indicating a shift towards speed and convenience over price in everyday purchases, according to a report released on Tuesday.
Local grocery stores remain central for routine grocery purchases and trust-based transactions in India, even though 51 per cent of consumers reported a decline in reliance on these stores over the past year, according to a report by Grant Thornton Bharat LLP.
Around 45 per cent of consumers use quick commerce for last-minute or urgent purchases, 24 per cent use it for daily top-ups such as milk and bread, and 19 per cent for impulse purchases including snacks and beverages, the report added.
Around 13 per cent of respondents said they now depend more frequently on local stores, while 27 per cent reported no significant change in their shopping habits.
Local grocery retailers themselves are facing increasing operational pressures, including margin constraints, shorter credit cycles, and rising expectations around product assortment and availability. Meanwhile, many local stores are open to collaboration with digital commerce platforms.
The firm's findings are based on a nationwide survey of over 1,600 consumers and more than 1,000 local grocery retailers across different regions.
Around 40 per cent of local grocery retailers expressed interest in partnering with quick commerce platforms, while 32 per cent said they were interested but unsure how such partnerships would work in practice.
Another 20 per cent indicated willingness to participate if operational or technology support is provided, indicating the opportunity for ecosystem players to integrate local retail more deeply into digital commerce networks.
Digital payments have become standard in local stores, with UPI and QR payments widely accepted. However, adoption of more advanced tools such as POS systems, inventory management platforms, and digital ordering solutions remains limited due to cost, training requirements, and operational complexity, the report noted.
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