The pilot of instant delivery has been rolled out by Reliance Retail in certain areas, including Navi Mumbai and certain areas of Mumbai, as reported by the Economic Times.
Under the ‘hyperlocal delivery section’ of the JioMart app, the service is now live. The services, which will include groceries and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), will be delivered within an hour.
However, Reliance Retail reportedly wants to reduce the delivery time to 30-45 minutes as more stores are added and there is an expansion of markets. Interestingly, most other quick commerce platforms, such as Blinkit and Instamart, deliver orders within ten minutes. Reliance Retail reportedly does not want to enter that race, as it would mean having more dark stores and more delivery personnel.
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Currently, the orders will be delivered through Reliance Retail’s warehouses and store networks. In places where the store network is not widespread, Reliance Retail is reportedly planning to rely on the Kirana stores that became a part of the JioMart Partner Initiative.
This is not JioMart’s first entry into the quick commerce segment. Previously, it used to deliver groceries within 90 minutes through JioMart Express. However, JioMart Express was shut down in February last year, as per an Economic Times report. The shutdown happened less than a year after its start.
Speaking about the shutdown, a source told the Economic Times, “They (JioMart) do not want to be in this kind of heavy-burn business. Amid the hype last year, they also experimented with express deliveries, but it’s not going to continue.”
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To optimize delivery routes, the company will be using technology companies such as Locus and FYND, according to the report. Eventually, Reliance Retail also plans to add the electronics and apparel sections to its quick commerce model.
To focus on its quick commerce initiative, a team has been formed by the company, comprising Reliance Retail’s Damodar Mall, the chief executive of the grocery business, and Sandeep Varaganti, the chief executive of JioMart.
