Why quick commerce wants planned buys even as margins come under pressure
Swiggy Instamart and Zepto are doubling down on bulk buying and planned ordering features, claiming that encouraging customers to buy more per order will increase average order values (AOV) and improve unit economics.
This pressure appears to be producing headline gains. Swiggy Instamart’s Maxxsaver raises its AOV ₹746 in the December quarter ₹That’s up from 534 a year ago, underlining growing consumer appetite for discounted bulk shopping carts.
But analysts point out that much of this growth has been driven by deeper discounts, free delivery thresholds and margin-straining incentives. Larger baskets also increase packaging and last-mile costs, raising questions about whether higher AOVs translate into healthier economics.
Mint It explains why platforms are pursuing bulk buying and what this trade-off means for the swing trading strategies ahead, especially as competition intensifies.
From impulse to planned purchases
It was built on fast trading, instant purchases and urgent downloads. But as platforms pursue profitability, they are increasingly trying to steer users towards planned weekly or monthly orders that promise greater cost efficiency.
Swiggy Instamart launched Maxxsaver in April last year and ₹500 on orders above ₹999 on a range of over 35,000 products, including non-grocery items like clothing and kitchenware. Zepto tested the feature in Bengaluru by launching SuperSaver in September 2024, offering discounted prices on orders above ₹1000.
According to Satish Meena, analyst at market research firm Datum Intelligence, driving users towards planned purchases helps platforms smooth demand and improve unit economics.
“This can improve overhead costs such as order fulfillment and reduce costs per order, meaningfully increasing unit economics compared to single-item orders,” Meena said.
Other variations of the same strategy are also being rolled out across platforms. Zepto introduced slotted deliveries to select areas of Bengaluru in December, allowing users to choose a delivery slot rather than opting for delivery within minutes. Swiggy Instamart helps minimize the cost of multiple deliveries by allowing users to combine orders with longer waiting time. Tata Group’s BigBasket continues to offer scheduled deliveries on which it has built its foundations, but the focus is now on fast deliveries.
Planned deliveries also drive non-grocery order growth, which is necessary to maintain high AOV, Meena said. The investor presentation showed that non-grocery orders accounted for 32% of Instamart’s sales in the December quarter.
CEO Aadit Palicha says Zepto’s Super Saver has the potential to increase the AOV of regular deliveries by 3x Mint In November 2024. The company did not respond mint Queries regarding SuperSaver’s traction or strategy.
Why are analysts cautious?
Despite higher AOVs and early interest, analysts argue that the economics of bulk buying have not yet figured out.
“Larger baskets help increase order values, but the problem is that flash trading platforms often encourage this behavior through discounts and delivery incentives. Unless these subsidies are meaningfully reduced, higher AOVs do not automatically translate into better margins,” said Meena of Datum Intelligence.
A March 2025 HSBC report highlighted that these value-focused programs could squeeze EBITDA margins from 6% to 3% in the near term; This suggests that discount-focused properties can deliver only limited growth. The report also stated that profitability expectations have weakened in the near term.
Swiggy Instamart’s latest numbers reflect this tension. The firm’s EBITDA margin in the December quarter rose only gradually to negative 2.5% from negative 2.6% in the previous quarter, prompting the firm to review its discounting strategy.
“Amidst irrational competition, our recent investments in lower revenue generation for the consumer side have not produced the desired incremental order growth, particularly at the bottom of the AOV pyramid, and are under review,” the firm said in its investor presentation.
what’s next
Bulk buying features will continue to be part of Swiggy Instamart and Zepto’s playbooks, but a more measured approach to investments and discounts is likely, according to Meena.
Amitesh Jha, CEO of Swiggy Instamart, said during the 3FY26 earnings call that the firm will stay away from deep discounts for higher AOVs. “We’re not going to spend good money on bad growth,” he said.
Meena noted that just-in-time delivery, which is the core promise of fast commerce, must also remain at the center of platform strategies if they want to grow the user base and AOVs in a healthy and sustainable way.
“Market leader Blinkit has grown through operational efficiency and therefore does not see the need to resort to huge discounts on bulk purchases. This is a classic playbook for sustainable growth,” Meena said.
