An Empirical Study on Changing Consumer Expectations and Behavior in the Era of Q-Commerce

Abstract

The effect of Covid -19 pandemic urged people to adopt to the buying habits through online shopping portals. As the marketing trends developed into more into E-commerce, quick commerce(Q-Commerce) emerged in 2020. Consumers are able to get their daily groceries at their door step so easily. Latently the shift in the consumer expectation of delivery in shorter span lead to many Q-commerce players like Blinkit, Swiggy instamart, Zepto and bigbasket started delivering their product in less than 10 minutes. This lead into more competition among the players. So the consumers are now able to get whatever they want in minutes. This research is carried to understand the changing expectations of consumers with sample size of 150 consumers. The data analysed through statistical tools and inferred that consumers are expecting speedy delivery and this resulted in using different apps for their requirement. They show dissatisfaction towards package and high delivery charges and return and refund issues. So it is suggested that service providers should focus on strengthening trust, improving product quality assurance, and catering to diverse user motivations to enhance customer retention and satisfaction.

Introduction

Q-commerce, or quick commerce, is a fast-evolving form of e-commerce focused on deliveries within minutes, typically under an hour. Initially dominated by food delivery, it has expanded to groceries, medicines, gifts, and apparel. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated its adoption, especially in India, by enabling home deliveries and shaping consumer expectations for instant service. Key features include micro-warehouses or “dark stores,” crowdsourced delivery labor, and advanced logistics and software systems, allowing rapid, small-quantity deliveries close to urban consumers.

In India, q-commerce has transformed the online grocery and essentials market, with platforms like Swiggy Instamart, Dunzo, and Blinkit offering 10–20 minute deliveries from strategically located micro-fulfillment centers. The sector is projected to reach $5.5 billion by 2025, with its contribution to online grocery rising from 10% to ~45%. Success depends on efficient last-mile delivery, cost-effective infrastructure, AI integration, and balancing convenience with price sensitivity in a competitive market.

Literature highlights the psychological, economic, and operational aspects of q-commerce adoption: the Digital Immediacy Adoption Framework (DiIA-F) explains rapid adoption in urban India, studies reveal challenges of high operational costs and reduced profit margins, and analytical models show that structured commitments improve delivery efficiency and outcomes for both companies and riders.

Conclusion

Q-commerce has become need of the hour for consumers, as because of the shift in the life style and social status all have inclined towards delivery of the products to their door step. The change in the expectations of the consumers with regards to Q-commerce survey conducted to analyse the behaviour of the consumers. The major findings are the consumers expects speedy delivery, high quality, good packing and relatively easy process of refund and replacement. The q-commerce players are facing challenges in retention of the consumers as their expectations are high. Consumers are not loyal to any Q-commerce players in Bangalore, as per their need and expectations they choose the Q-commerce players for ordering products. It is suggestable to service providers that they should focus on strengthening trust, improving product quality assurance, and catering to diverse user motivations to enhance customer retention and satisfaction

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Anusha R(V Sem B.Com Student, Surana College, Peenya), Abhishek(V Sem B.Com Student, Surana College, Peenya) , Iniyaa S(V Sem B.Com Student, Surana College, Peenya), Dr. Jyothi M N(Professor, Surana College, Peenya). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.