Over 70% of consumers expressed a willingness to continue using quick commerce platforms even if discounts were reduced, highlighting a preference for speed and convenience over pricing in their daily purchases. Despite this trend, neighbourhood kirana stores in India remain pivotal for routine grocery shopping and trust-based transactions, although 51% of consumers have reported a decrease in reliance on these stores over the past year.
The report also highlighted that 45% of consumers turn to quick commerce for last-minute or urgent purchases, with 24% utilizing it for daily essentials like milk and bread, and 19% for impulse buys such as snacks and beverages. Additionally, 13% of respondents stated an increased dependence on kirana stores, while 27% noted no significant change in their shopping behaviors.
Kirana retailers are facing escalating operational challenges, including margin limitations, shorter credit cycles, and heightened expectations regarding product variety and availability. Despite this, many local stores are open to collaborating with digital commerce platforms to adapt to changing consumer preferences.
The study, based on a survey of over 1,600 consumers and 1,000 kirana retailers nationwide, revealed that 40% of kirana retailers are interested in partnering with quick commerce platforms. Another 32% expressed interest in such collaborations but were uncertain about the practicalities involved. Moreover, 20% indicated a readiness to engage if provided with operational or technological support, underscoring the potential for deeper integration of neighbourhood retail within digital commerce ecosystems.
While digital payments like UPI and QR codes are widely accepted at local stores, the adoption of more advanced tools such as POS systems, inventory management platforms, and digital ordering solutions remains limited due to cost implications, training needs, and operational complexities, according to the report.
