For families and siblings overseas, this Raksha Bandhan presents a prime opportunity for last-minute shopping for their counterparts in India. Quick-commerce firms like Blinkit and Zepto are expanding their operations, offering curated rakhi gifts and chances to win cars, iPhones, televisions (TVs), and luxurious overseas stays.
Zomato-owned Blinkit has expanded its services internationally for the occasion, allowing users from countries such as the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Japan to send rakhis and gifts to their siblings in India.
“We have activated international orders on Blinkit until August 19. People living abroad can now place orders to send rakhis and gifts to their siblings in India, and we’ll deliver within 10 minutes,” said Albinder Dhindsa, founder and chief executive officer of Blinkit.
Additionally, the company is offering free delivery on all rakhi purchases within India.
According to Dhindsa, the company has already surpassed last year’s rakhi sales by Saturday afternoon, driven by last-minute shopping. Over 90 per cent of the international orders so far have come from the US, with the rest divided relatively evenly between Japan and Australia, he added.
Similarly, Zepto has launched its latest campaign, Rakhi Aapki, Lifafa Humara, aiming to deliver over 3.5 million orders in three days.
Between August 17 and 19, the company will deliver a free Shagun ka Lifafa to its customers. Inside this Raksha Bandhan special envelope, both the brother and sister receive a scratch card with a chance to win prizes worth Rs 5 crore, including cars, a luxurious trip to Dubai, iPhones, TVs, speakers, washing machines, and other gifts, the company said.
“Shagun ka Lifafa holds cultural significance during Raksha Bandhan, and we decided to elevate the sibling rivalry to a whole new level,” said Chandan Mendiratta, chief brand officer of Zepto.
“We’re thrilled to partner Dabur and other collaborators, including EaseMyTrip, Ariel, and Tide, to offer exclusive prizes and experiences, making this festival even more special,” he added.
Through its partnership with travel aggregator EaseMyTrip, each Zepto order will include a scratch card offering a chance to win a travel voucher.
This expansion comes as quick-commerce players are increasing their dark store footprint in anticipation of the upcoming festival season, Business Standard reported earlier.
Competition in the quick-commerce sector has intensified with Flipkart’s launch of Minutes. Ahead of its flagship sale event — Big Billion Days 2024 — in October, the firm is reportedly planning to open nearly 100 dark stores across top cities.
Blinkit aims to reach 2,000 dark stores by the end of 2026, up from the current 639. The company added 113 dark stores in the first quarter of 2024-25 alone and is expected to launch a similar number in the July-September quarter, ahead of the festival season.
Zepto announced plans in June to reach 700 dark stores by March 2025, up from 350 currently. It will need to add roughly 80 stores each quarter to achieve this.
First Published: Aug 18 2024 | 4:26 PM IST
