 "Quick commerce, food delivery apps post record-breaking number of orders on New Year's eve")
The final day of 2024 proved to be a blockbuster for quick commerce and food delivery platforms, with record-breaking orders reported across the country.
As people increasingly leaned on the convenience of home delivery for their New Year’s celebrations, platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket witnessed unprecedented demand for everything from party essentials to everyday groceries, as per a report by The Economic Times
Preparations for the surge were in full swing, with platforms setting up command centres and hiring temporary workers to ensure smooth operations. Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart confirmed that their order volumes had already surpassed those of December 31, 2023, by early evening. Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa even took to the streets, packing and delivering items himself while announcing the launch of a large-order fleet in Delhi and Gurugram to handle bulk deliveries of party goods and electronics, as per the ET report.
Bengaluru led the charge in food delivery
Bengaluru emerged as the top city for food delivery and quick commerce orders. Swiggy Instamart reported its highest-ever order numbers, outpacing even festive seasons like Diwali and Mother’s Day. Swiggy’s food marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor noted that Bengaluru also led in bookings for the company’s Dine Out service, with tech capital residents turning to cloud kitchens and restaurants for their New Year’s feasts.
Curefoods, a leading cloud kitchen startup, echoed the sentiment, recording its highest order volumes in Bengaluru, followed by Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Delhi-NCR.
Rebel Foods reported a three-to-five-fold increase in orders compared to regular days, while Swiggy expanded its Instamart service to 44 new cities, with Bhubaneswar and Mangaluru standing out as high-demand hubs.
Incentives drive delivery partner engagement
The surge in demand created an equally busy day for delivery partners. Platforms rolled out attractive incentives, with Swiggy Instamart offering an additional Rs 15 per delivery on December 31 to encourage availability.
BigBasket introduced a tiered incentive programme, while positive tipping trends also added to delivery partners’ earnings. Mumbai-based delivery partner Shafiq Ali remarked on the stark difference in activity levels compared to quieter post-Christmas days, as he completed his 11th order for the day, as per the ET report.
Surprising Trends: grapes, ice cubes, and party games
Amidst the New Year frenzy, unexpected trends emerged. Blinkit reported a sevenfold increase in grape orders, which netizens linked to the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes for prosperity in the coming year. Swiggy Instamart saw chocolates, chips, and soft drinks topping the list, while BigBasket noted soaring sales of ice cubes, disposable cups, party games, and even garbage bags. Zepto recorded 3,345 ice cube orders per hour around 7:30 PM, more than doubling its numbers from the previous year.
With consumer preferences evolving and demand skyrocketing, New Year’s Eve reinforced the pivotal role of quick commerce and food delivery in modern celebrations.
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