New q-com idiom:10-minute return

After the success of 10-minute deliveries, quick commerce players are now planning to latch on to one of the favourite pastimes of Indian shoppers who love to return a good number of products they buy. So, enter “10-minute return”, which essentially means the product to be returned will be picked up within 10 minutes of raising a request. The current industry practice is one-hour to 48-hour returns for perishable products and one-hour to one week for other items.

Last week, Blinkit introduced returns and exchanges for clothing and footwear within 10 minutes in select cities. “Customers can initiate a return/exchange in case of a size or fit issue with the delivered product. This solves a crucial problem of size anxiety for categories like clothing and footwear,” Albinder Dhindsa, CEO, Blinkit said on X. Swiggy Instamart and Zepto are also reportedly testing the feature.  

According to experts, as top q-commerce players focus on category expansion, 10-minute returns can give them an edge over e-commerce players who offer next-day to week-long return times. However, they also feel executing this may increase their logistics cost.

Also Read What’s wrong with exit polls? 18 years of Bigg Boss: The recipe for reality TV’s long-lasting appeal Ringside view by Tushar Bhaduri: With a Test win in two days, India’s ruthlessness a characteristic of great sides When consumers do not differentiate between retail formats, as long as their needs are met, why should any retail policy?

Also ReadThe Role of Indian Festivals in Shaping Consumer Durable Sales and Lighting Trends

“Returns and exchanges have long been a pain point for traditional e-commerce due to the high costs of reverse logistics, and 10-minute returns may further increase the burden,” said Param Patel, general partner, Volt VC told FE.

The ability to return products is a crucial factor in deciding the platform to purchase from, especially for newer categories that q-comm players are venturing into such as fashion, footwear and accessories. According to reports, these categories experience a high frequency of returns. Fashion and accessories see around 20% to 30% returns and electronics sees 3% to 15%. This is because of mismatches around fit, quality, colour and appearance in these categories despite the use of advanced technologies.

However, a key hurdle for q-comm players in 10-minute returns is the potential for inventory blockage as dark stores have limited space.

 » Read More

Related Articles

Should you withdraw or reinvest your matured investments?

When an investment matures, you face a crucial decision: withdraw the funds or reinvest them for future growth. The right choice depends on your financial goals, market conditions, and liquidity needs. Reinvesting can help build wealth through compounding, while withdrawing may be ideal for immediate expenses or reallocating to better opportunities. Understanding the pros and

Starlink’s India entry a challenge for telecom Majors? Key factors to watch…

With Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio announcing their respective agreements with SpaceX, JM Financial said that this tie-up is largely neutral for the two telecom companies and there seems to be no significant risk to growth potential for Indus Towers. Currently, the agreement between the two telcos and SpaceX is limited to distributing Starlink’s satellite

Ola Electric shares slump 6%- 4 key concerns for investors are…

OLA Electric Mobility has been continuously in the eye of the storm. The share price fell below Rs 50 per share on the National Stock Exchange, down 6.2% intra-day. This is after Rosmerta Digital Services initiated insolvency proceedings against OLA Electric Mobility’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Ola Electric Technologies, for non-payment of incurred services. Rosmerta initiates bankruptcy

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Stay Connected

0FansLike
0FollowersFollow
0SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -

Latest Articles

Should you withdraw or reinvest your matured investments?

When an investment matures, you face a crucial decision: withdraw the funds or reinvest them for future growth. The right choice depends on your financial goals, market conditions, and liquidity needs. Reinvesting can help build wealth through compounding, while withdrawing may be ideal for immediate expenses or reallocating to better opportunities. Understanding the pros and

Starlink’s India entry a challenge for telecom Majors? Key factors to watch…

With Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio announcing their respective agreements with SpaceX, JM Financial said that this tie-up is largely neutral for the two telecom companies and there seems to be no significant risk to growth potential for Indus Towers. Currently, the agreement between the two telcos and SpaceX is limited to distributing Starlink’s satellite

Ola Electric shares slump 6%- 4 key concerns for investors are…

OLA Electric Mobility has been continuously in the eye of the storm. The share price fell below Rs 50 per share on the National Stock Exchange, down 6.2% intra-day. This is after Rosmerta Digital Services initiated insolvency proceedings against OLA Electric Mobility’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Ola Electric Technologies, for non-payment of incurred services. Rosmerta initiates bankruptcy

Wipro plummets 13% in 2025: 4 key factors to watch amidst restructuring of global business

Wipro shares fell 0.9% to an intra-day low of Rs 261.70 after it realigned the global business with clients’ needs. The stock was among the major losers on Nifty and has lost 13% year to date. The restructuring in global business line comes amidst the US recessionary concerns and challenging macroeconomic conditions. Also, the company

Infosys has plunged 16% in 2025: 5 key factors investors need to know ahead of Q4 earnings

Infosys is back in the spotlight as investors keep a close watch on the IT giant following recent developments. From its upcoming quarterly earnings to stock performance trends, here are five key things to know about Infosys shares right now. Infosys: Quarterly earnings on the radar The countdown has begun for Infosys Q4 results. The