Zepto

Nine dimensions merchants should review before joining:

Merchant snapshot

A 10-minute quick-commerce (q-comm) platform, best for high-frequency FMCG/daily-essentials brands working in a supply model; the urban audience is precise but cash burn is high, and suppliers must accept payment terms and platform pricing.

Entry requirements

Not an open marketplace: Zepto operates in-house dark stores plus a procurement model. Brands/distributors supply through supplier registration or authorized distributors; there is no public "store opening" process — it is mainly partnership negotiation plus SKU review. Food products require an FSSAI license and general goods require GSTIN (taxgarden). The company is private and on an IPO track (raised $450M pre-IPO, per Fortune India).

Fee structure

There is no marketplace commission concept — the platform's gross margin comes from the spread between supply price and retail price. D2C brand listings typically involve listing/marketing fees and payment-term clauses (see growwwtech for an industry fee comparison; specifics per the official/contract terms). Q-comm platforms are stepping up brand-ad monetization (ET BrandEquity), so marketing fees are a common add-on.

Getting traffic

Driven by in-app search, homepage recommendations and promotions; the 10-minute promise brings high repeat purchase from young urban users. Brands can buy on-site ad placements and co-marketing (q-comm ads are an industry monetization trend, per ET BrandEquity). In the 2025 festive season q-comm accounted for 45% of purchases in India (WPP/Meta, via Business Standard), a clear shift of category traffic toward q-comm. There is no standalone marketplace organic-traffic mechanism.

Fulfilment & logistics

Dark-store micro-fulfillment plus in-house riders for instant delivery, marketed as 10-minute delivery (the government in 2026 required dropping this marketing claim, per Moneycontrol). Inventory is managed by the platform; sellers only handle supply and restocking. Coverage is mainly metro areas, and dark-store density determines the fulfillment radius.

Payments & settlement

Suppliers are settled on payment terms (invoice-based) in INR; settlement cycles, returns and damage clauses follow the purchase contract (per the contract). There is no marketplace-style buyer payment settlement system.

Compliance

Suppliers need GST registration and FSSAI for food. Dark stores and rider labor rights are under regulatory scrutiny (the "hidden labor behind 10 minutes" has been examined, per New Indian Express). In 2026 the government directly required q-comm platforms to stop using "10-minute delivery" marketing (Zepto has adjusted, per Moneycontrol). IPO preparation raises governance and financial-disclosure requirements.

Key risks

1) FY25 net loss widened 177% to ₹3,367 cr with monthly cash burn higher than peers (Financial Express/Livemint); if burn is not curbed before the IPO, supplier payment terms could be squeezed or prices pushed down. 2) "10-minute" marketing regulation and rider labor scrutiny continue. 3) Blinkit's scale advantage plus JioMart's supply-chain disruption (1.6 million daily orders) intensify the subsidy war and narrow room to negotiate supply prices (ET). 4) Payment-term and inventory risks fall mainly on suppliers (qualitative).

Best-fit sellers

Best suited to brands and distributors of high-frequency small items (snacks & beverages, FMCG, daily essentials, beauty & personal care) with metro distribution and fast restocking capability, and to D2C brands using q-comm as an incremental channel. Not suited to non-standard, high-ticket, long-tail-SKU sellers, or small sellers that cannot accept payment terms/platform pricing power.

Sources

research/sections/in_platforms.md §7.0–7.2.4; 各地区电商平台Top5深度研究报告.md 第6章 (Chinese report, Chapter 6); https://www.business-standard.com/amp/companies/news/zepto-nears-4-bn-annualised-gov-reduces-operating-cash-flow-burn-by-50-125040900341_1.html; https://www.financialexpress.com/business/news/zeptos-fy25-net-loss-widens-177-to-rs-3367-crorenbsp/4089662/; https://www.fortuneindia.com/business-news/zeptos-450-million-fundraise-sets-stage-for-ipo-amid-intense-quick-commerce-battle/127805; https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/swiggy-zepto-drop-10-minute-delivery-pitch-after-government-directive-13772784.html; https://taxgarden.in/blog/gst-compliance-quick-commerce-sellers-blinkit-swiggy-zepto-2026; https://growwwtech.com/blog/blinkit-vs-zepto-vs-instamart-fees-d2c-brands; https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/research/advertising/quick-commerce-firms-chase-brand-ad-dollars-to-boost-revenue-margins/122856266

Zepto appears in the Top-5 lists of 1 regions: India.

• India（#4）：10-minute delivery; urban-focused; three-way battle with Blinkit/Instamart

Every figure is taken from that region’s Top-5 report and source audit. No cross-region conversion or new estimates: