Walmart-owned Flipkart will soon launch a new hyperlocal delivery service that will enable customers to receive items from nearby stores, according to sources. Flipkart is looking to start testing the service in Bengaluru in the next few weeks, beginning with grocery deliveries, the sources close to the development said.
One of the sources said Flipkart will utilise the last-mile capabilities of logistics firm Shadowfax to facilitate the deliveries. Last year, Flipkart had led a $60-million funding round in Shadowfax, which offers an on-demand, last-mile logistics network.
According to various media reports, the launch is a month away. In the long term, the plan is to deliver everything within 90 minutes. To begin with, Flipkart will start deliveries from its own local warehouses and select shops, and will eventually expand the same to kirana stores and modern retailers within a select neighbourhood.
Flipkart did not respond to e-mailed queries. The service will be available via the Flipkart app, and initially, deliveries will be done from local warehouses and select shops.
The service will begin in Bengaluru and is likely to be a one-city pilot till the company’s flagship Big Billion Sale, which is scheduled in October each year, The Economic Times reported.
Online grocery delivery has gained significant traction amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With the entry of Reliance-owned JioMart in the segment, the competition is set to intensify further. Offline retailers, who have taken a major hit on account of the lockdown, are also keen on partnering digital platforms to facilitate delivery of goods.
In the past few months, Flipkart has partnered with retail chains like Spencers and Vishal Mega Mart to enable hyperlocal deliveries of groceries and essentials in various cities.
(With PTI inputs)