Chandan Mendiratta

Everyone keeps debating whether quick commerce is cannibalizing retail or creating new demand. The data tells a clear story, it's doing both, and that's exactly what makes it powerful. 1. Quick commerce is growing at breakneck speed in India. India's quick commerce industry has experienced explosive growth, with sales increasing by over 280% in two years. The industry's Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) rose from $500 million in FY 2021-22 to $3.34 billion in FY 2023-24, growing at an annual rate of 73%. It's expected to reach $9.95 billion by 2029. 2. Consumers are shopping with surgical precision based on their immediate needs rather than browsing broadly. Consumers use quick commerce for replenishment - toothpaste, shampoo, face wash they already know and trust. The category has also expanded to include needs like ready-to-apply henna, last-minute party makeup essentials, and pimple patches. But when they want to discover new serums or try different skincare routines, they still visit stores to touch, feel, and ask questions. We are serving two completely different shopping missions: convenience vs exploration. 3. Beauty and personal care is finding its sweet spot in this ecosystem. Players like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto have expanded their assortment to include beauty items, giving consumers the option to do last-minute shopping. The average order value has grown significantly, showing customers are willing to pay for convenience. 4. Quick commerce is creating shopping behaviors that never existed before. Consumers are ordering face masks on Friday evening for weekend self-care, buying lipstick 30 minutes before a date, or grabbing a new moisturizer when they run out at 11 PM. This is not just faster shopping - this is enabling spontaneous beauty rituals that were impossible before 10-minute delivery. This pattern of shopping did not exist before. 5. Real-time demand data is becoming the new competitive advantage. Quick commerce gives brands hyperlocal, real-time data on what's selling where. Companies can see regional preferences instantly and adjust inventory accordingly. Traditional retail data comes with weeks of lag - quick commerce data is live. 6. The market is consolidating around partnership models. Smart brands treat quick commerce platforms as strategic partners, co-creating exclusive product bundles and sharing consumer insights to expand the total addressable market. #Entrepreneurship #ConsumerBehaviour #BusinessModel

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Global beverage giant 𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐚-𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐚 is reportedly planning to take its Indian bottling arm, Hindustan Coca‑Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd., public with a deal that may fetch around $1 billion (≈ ₹ 8,000 crore), implying a valuation of nearly $10 billion for the unit. This move underscores how global brands are doubling down on India’s high-growth consumer market. But beyond the headline, there are deeper strategic signals worth noting. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: *𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 – Coca-Cola’s push signals that India isn’t just a market anymore; it’s a long-term strategic platform for scaling globally. *𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 + 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 – With an established brand and deep distribution network, the new unit looks positioned to monetise rising consumption and premiumisation trends. *𝐅𝐌𝐂𝐆 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 – If the IPO goes ahead, it could reset valuation benchmarks for beverage and branded-consumer companies in India. *𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 – This move highlights the shift from “foreign brand operating in India” to “indigenous unit built for India & beyond”. *𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 – For investors, it offers an opportunity; for peer brands, a cue that staying behind may cost future scale. In short, the IPO plan isn’t just a financial transaction — it’s a strategic signal. Brands that build purpose, distribution depth and local relevance today will lead future consumer markets. #CocaCola #IPO #IndiaGrowth #FMCG #ConsumerBrands #BusinessStrategy #BrandStrategy

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India’s spirits market is not exactly like FMCG. But Praveen Someshwar , new MD at DIAGEO India believes once you accept the reality, the consumption lens remains the same. “There are differences. We have legislation of pricing, on route to market, on forms of marketing. But you embrace that reality and understand that. We know exactly how to look around it and build on that through our experience, sharpening market execution and looking at the overall business model end to end. I just believe once you get comfortable with the legislation and all these issues, it is very much a fast-moving consumer goods company," he told The Economic Times in his first interview after taking on the top job last month. With Shabori Das, I report.

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Exclusive: In the latest blow to the troubled beer brand, Munjal has invoked the shares of a firm linked to Jain, which is a major shareholder in B9 Beverages (Bira parent). None of this bodes well for Bira or its founder. The company is already navigating a storm, with a long list of payables—vendor dues and employee salaries. In recent years, Jain also seems to have taken on significant debt (through various channels) to either expand operations or buy shares from existing investors. Much of this debt must be repaid because B9 Beverages is loss-making and has run out of cash. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/e4T2bd-T Harveen Ahluwalia reports in The Morning Context

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"Not all gifts are meant to be opened. Some are meant to be felt." This insight opens up a powerful opportunity for marketers. India’s gifting economy is growing fast. But the biggest opportunity isn’t in what we gift, it's in what receivers actually value. It’s gifting season globally, and increasingly in India too (even though Diwali remains the peak). Over the last year, the gifting industry has grown sharply, with quick commerce accelerating last-minute, impulse-led gifting through instant access and convenience. For marketers, this raises an important question: What kind of gifting will win next? A big part of the answer lies in psychology: Givers and receivers are driven by very different motivations. Givers typically look for: Wow, surprise, excitement, extravagance Receivers, however, value: Ease, practicality, long-term usefulness, and experiences. Where gifting usually wins today (predictably): most gifting seasons are dominated by safe, low-risk categories like chocolates, fragrances, premium biscuits, dry fruits, and lifestyle items.  They work because they reduce social risk for the giver. Where the bigger opportunity opens up is when we look beyond indulgence. If receivers value relief, usefulness, and experiences, gifting doesn’t need to stay limited to “treat” categories. This creates white space for everyday FMCG and experience brands, if they’re willing to rethink what a good gift really means. Experience-led gifting (still underused): Why shouldn’t dining or food brands position gift cards as shared moments, not discounts? Why can’t delivery platforms frame dinner cards as:  “A night off from cooking.”  “One less decision to make today.” Everyday FMCG, reframed as care: 1. Home care: Premium laundry or fabric care bundles as:    “One less thing to worry about every week.” 2. Personal care & haircare    Daily-use hair care or skincare as: “Something you’ll use every day and think of me.” 3. Food staples & cooking aids    Spices, oils, ready mixes as: “For everyday meals that matter.” (In Indian homes, food isn’t functional, it’s emotional.) 4. Baby & family care    Wipes, lotions, detergents as: “Support, not surprise.” 5. Beverages: Tea, coffee, health drinks as:  “A pause in your day.” These aren’t flashy gifts. They’re relief gifts, and relief is a powerful emotional currency. There’s a deeper truth here. Every product, when reframed well, becomes an act of service. Not a benefit. A small act that makes life easier. And that’s also one of the most universal love languages. As we move from Christmas into the New Year: Givers want to impress, Receivers want life to feel easier and experiences to feel meaningful. For marketers, that’s where the opportunity lives. #ConsumerPsychology #Gifting #QuickCommerce #EcommerceMarketing #FMCG #MarketingInsights #HumanBehaviour

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#BFCM debate !! Most brands I know don't like Black Friday sales. The reason behind is once you take a deep dive on your data. Don't get me wrong. Q4 period is the most awaited shopping season of the year and everyone is waiting to buy different things they have been eyeing on, looking for the offers and discounts they can get their hands on. While ecommerce brands do generate a lot of sales during this time, but it comes from inflated acquisition costs, lower margins and very less repeat purchases. So when in January growth marketers look at how much money they really made, most end up in red. This is impacting how brands think about BFCM but... As a customer, I expect discounts. If I don't see a sale on a brand, then their products will not even be in my considerations list. So don't offer blanket discounts, tailor it based on customer type, last purchase, AOV, product etc but do offer something as your customers expect it by default. Cooee

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