Shutdown · Commerce & Consumer Brands

BigBasket shuts express delivery in most cities

By Startup Enthusiast · 27 July 2019

What they do

BigBasket is an online grocery delivery platform

It shut its 90-minute express delivery in NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow and Patna

The move follows other startups that found on-demand delivery unprofitable

BigBasket has shut down its Express Delivery service (90-minute delivery) in NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow and Patna.
The service is still available in Bengaluru on select products.
BigBasket now shows slot-based delivery (next day or same day) instead of Express Delivery.
Express Delivery is not available even for BBStar premium members.
BigBasket is betting on its subscription service BBDaily (milk and daily essentials every morning).
The company likely shut many dark stores (small warehouses used for quick deliveries).
BigBasket co-founder Hari Menon was contacted for comment.

On-demand grocery delivery was popular among Indian startups from 2014 to 2017 and helped raise venture capital money.
Grofers pivoted away from 90-minute delivery two years ago.
Localbanya and PepperTap shut down completely.
Experts say on-demand delivery is unviable because the cost per delivery is about ₹80, much higher than slot-based delivery.
The online grocery segment in India started with slot-based models, shifted to on-demand due to VC interest, and is now moving back to slot-based.

BigBasket is an online grocery delivery platform that offers slot-based delivery (next day or same day).
It also runs BBDaily, a subscription service for milk and daily essentials delivered every morning.
The company had an Express Delivery service for 90-minute delivery, now mostly shut.