Flipkart Starts Selling Alcohol In India; Aims To Expand Online Alcohol Delivery

The COVID-19 pandemic resultant lockdown which commenced from March 2020, had shut businesses all over the country including the alcohol industry worth $27.2 billion (according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis’ estimates).

After Amazon, now Flipkart has partnered with Hipbar, an alcohol home delivery mobile app to deliver alcohol in two Indian cities, according to government letters seen by Reuters. 

Read on to find out more…

How Exactly Will This Work?

The local governments of eastern West Bengal and Orissa have said that Walmart-owned Flipkart, will provide the technology services to the spirits giant Diego backed Hipbar.

As a result, Flipkart’s customers will gain easy access to Hipbar’s application through the e-commerce platform, according to letters.

The Flipkart customers will be able to order their poison of choice online, which will be delivered by Hipbar after collecting the alcohol from retail outlets, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.

West Bengal is India’s fourth most populous state in the country, with a population of more than 90 million people and  Odisha has a population of more than 41 million.

Amazon had also started its alcohol delivery in West Bengal which had signaled a massive foray in the Indian alcohol market. 

Swiggy and Zomato have also started delivering booze in select Indian cities.

E-commerce Giants Foraying Into Online Delivery of Nearly Everything!

Since the pandemic has begun, Indian citizens are relying more and more on online shopping from groceries to electronic devices.

Earlier Goldman Sachs had predicted that the Indian e-commerce market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27% and will reach $99 billion by 2024. And at a global level, this market is expected to grow by 24%.

Earlier, Flipkart has announced its initiative of ‘dark stores‘ for super-fast delivery of household items.

Amazon is foraying into the medicine delivery segment of India by launching an online pharmacy, said the company on Friday. 

The two e-commerce giants in India can be seen in a tough battle to capture the Indian shoppers who have turned aggressively towards online shopping!

Will e-commerce and dark stores take over the walk-in stores in India in the post-pandemic world?