Whalesbook
Zepto's 2025 Report Highlights Consumer Shifts Amidst Delivery Partner Strike
Quick commerce firm Zepto has released its 2025 year-end trends report, painting a picture of deeply embedded ultra-fast delivery services in Indian daily life. The report claims significant consumer savings and record speed, but is juxtaposed with an impending nationwide strike by its delivery partners.
Record Speed and Savings Claims
Zepto stated that Indian consumers are shopping more frequently, placing larger orders, and increasingly relying on ultra-fast delivery for both essentials and impulse buys. The company estimates users saved nearly ₹17,000 crore in 2025 through competitive pricing and quick access to goods. These savings figures, however, were not detailed on how they were calculated. The platform saw its app opened over 34.6 billion times, with delivery partners collectively covering more than 2.45 billion kilometres. The fastest recorded delivery on Zepto in 2025 was an astonishing 48 seconds.
Extreme User Engagement
The report also pointed to outlier customer behaviour. One user in Mumbai placed a single order valued at ₹1.89 lakh. Another customer demonstrated extreme reliance, completing nearly 5,900 deliveries over the year, averaging around 16 orders per day. Tips to delivery partners also reached remarkable heights, with one user in Gurugram reportedly tipping ₹54,000 across multiple orders.
Regional Consumer Preferences
City-level data revealed diverse yet staple-anchored habits. Bengaluru saw milk, tomatoes, and packaged snacks as top orders, alongside a demand for 69,000 Type-C charging cables. Mumbai's consumers favoured milk, onions, and bottled water, with a notable consumption of over 7.8 lakh litres of energy drinks. Delhi NCR showed a split, with North Delhi ordering guavas and South Delhi favouring avocados, while face masks remained popular with over 1.3 lakh units ordered. Hyderabad's orders included milk, snacks, carbonated beverages, and traditional Osmania biscuits, with 65,000 kilograms ordered. The report noted a rise in "contradictory" baskets, combining healthy items with indulgent foods.
Impending Delivery Partner Strike
Adding a layer of operational concern, delivery workers associated with major platform companies, including Zepto, have announced a nationwide strike scheduled for December 31, 2025. Their demands centre on better pay, enhanced job security, and safer working conditions. This action could disrupt the very quick commerce services highlighted in Zepto's report.
Industry Context and Outlook
These findings emerge as quick commerce players are striving to expand their reach beyond major metropolitan areas, simultaneously contending with escalating competition and rising operational costs. The sector's future growth hinges on balancing speed and efficiency with fair labour practices.
Impact
The consumer trends reported by Zepto underscore the growing acceptance and reliance on the quick commerce model in India. However, the planned delivery partner strike poses a significant risk to service continuity, potentially impacting customer satisfaction and the operational viability of such platforms. The demands of the delivery partners highlight critical labour issues within the gig economy that require attention.
Difficult Terms Explained
- Quick Commerce: A model of e-commerce focused on delivering goods, typically groceries and everyday essentials, within a very short timeframe, often 15-30 minutes.
- Impulse Needs: Desires for products that arise suddenly and are acted upon immediately, often without extensive planning.
- Penetration: The extent to which a product, service, or technology is adopted or available within a specific market or population.
- Compendium: A collection of concise but comprehensive information about a particular subject.