Kolkata's Shopping Shift: The Rise of Blinkit and Other Shopping Apps

The Grocery shop is common to all neighborhoods in Kolkata and is where we buy all our daily grocery supplies. It used to be an everyday event in most households of the Locality (in Bengali we say para), just running to Bijor Kaku-er dokan to get today's essentials. The last time I went to the shop, Bijoy kaku (uncle) threw an "Aajkal ar toke dekha jaye na. Ekhane thakis na?" (Don't see you these days. Don't you live here anymore?). Slowly hiding my Zepto paper bag that has my brother's snacks in it, I replied, "Aar asha hoye na oto, Onno akdin asbo. (Yes, I don't come often, I will come later)." Guess what, I ran away from there as fast as I could. (P.S.- felt shy and a little ashamed too).

Later on that day, I thought about how Zepto, Blinkit and other quick commerce services have changed how we shop daily. The services first started at the time of COVID-19. It was very safe for common people to get everything like groceries or other things within a short time. Certainly, the scenario didn't change after COVID-19, It got expanded and people almost forgot that they could walk into the market for their household groceries and stuff.

My Family's Perspective

Eventually, I asked my family to give their valuable opinion. My mother said, "I don't trust online shopping. The vegetables and fruits might not be fresh ones. So, I would rather prefer to go to the market and buy things instead of ordering online". My father also had the same opinion regarding this. Well, as expected from my Parents because for them quality matters.

On the other hand, I asked my brother, and just a Gen Z being a Gen Z, he said, "Bro! online grocery shopping is so convenient. Whenever I need an ice cream I can just order it and the ice cream will be in my hand within 10 minutes. I don't have to go outside to buy it!

When I asked my uncle and aunt, they had the same perception as my brother. So, according to me, more than half of my family members are Lydhkhor (lazy).

How Blinkit Started

The formerly known Grofers, Blinkit was founded in 2013. Once you order your essentials on the app, Grofers will deliver your order within 90 minutes or the next day. Since Covid lockdowns were imposed, the demand for having groceries and essentials home-delivered has skyrocketed. In 2021, Blinkit was born out of a rebranding of Grofers and quickly got into the quick commerce business by promising to deliver your goods in a blink. Kitchen staples, meat and fish, beauty products, and home essentials can be delivered to your door in less than 10 minutes. Before long, the same model was adopted by Swiggy (through Instamart), Big Basket, and Zepto."

Are Local Stores Struggling to Keep Up?

"Not so much," he says. A larger part of Kolkata society still relies on local nutrition shops and the khata system at their everyday mudikhana, which is just what my father follows up on.

Even then, brick-and-mortar stores are scoring over quick commerce services in the sale of fresh products, such as fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, and meat. When it comes to freshness, kancha bazaars top the priorities of most buyers. Bengalis generally consider frozen meat and fish even taboo. Rising early in the morning and going to the nearby market to shop is a ritual even an app cannot replace and they specifically go on Sundays for weekly groceries.

Where did Blinkit win?

When it comes to the consumer experience, no facility like Blinkit can be put in. You have remarkable special festival sections for every occasion, but on the other hand, you get some entirely innovative features. Like the 'Single Mode' feature for Valentine's Day, where you turn it on and 'abracadabra', no Valentine's special items will come to your sight but only self-care product recommendations.

They have packaging that is just superb! Every single product is packaged in paper bags, and it is the bags themselves that are the unique selling point with their cute graphics and little games. The Valentine’s Day 2025 paper bags were, in fact, a DIY gift bag template. The outline designs on the bags also work as a nice, engaging activity sheet for kids, which Blinkit has been advertising on social media.