Blinkit or Zepto? A Rider’s Journey in the Q-Commerce Revolution
Gig Economy Under 10 Minutes
From scrolling through 1-minute reels to expecting groceries in 10 minutes flat. Curious about the behind-the-scenes magic that fuels my late-night snack deliveries, I embarked on a week-long exploration, spanning precisely 168 hours - to decode how Blinkit and Zepto magically manage to get my midnight snacks delivered before my cravings fade.
Initial Observations
Before diving deep, a brief note:
While Zepto scores higher for its store conditions (based on my observations at the dark store visited), the overall rider experience at Blinkit seems more mature. This maturity likely stems from Blinkit’s integration within the larger Zomato (now Eternal) business ecosystem.
Order Pickup
When an order is placed, it is packed by a team of packers and ready for pickup at a designated area (called Pigeon Hole).
The rider swiftly collects the order within a minute, verifies items, and marks it as "ready to deliver." The rider then receives the customer’s name and address. Notably, phone numbers are not disclosed to riders, which is commendable (I confirmed with the store in charge by portraying a fake scenario1 that I needed it, but was essentially denied under any circumstances)👍.
Suggestions: One thing Zepto could do to shave off 50 seconds is replace Bar-codes with QR-codes, just to increase scanning efficiency. Blinkit needs to fix this a lot: there’s not much clear indication in-app or at the store pickup. No cross-checking of the order being picked up either.
System Differences
Here are some notable system differences:
1. Order Delivery Route
Zepto's calculation significantly underreported distances traveled. For example, my first three rides with Zepto were each approximately 3.5 km, yet Zepto compensated for only an average of 1.5 km per ride. I raised this discrepancy with the store in charge, but received no response. I'm surprised this issue hasn't been highlighted by others. In contrast, Blinkit's distance measurements appeared more accurate.
Tried asking ChatGPT, here’s the response I got.2
In case, you’re wondering, the pay-per-km is largely similar (₹1/0.1km)3
2. Proof of Delivery
- Zepto: Before handing over the order to the customer, you’re required to submit a photo proof of delivery in the app, and only then can the order be marked delivered. Riders appreciated the built-in photo-capturing feature as proof of delivery.
- Blinkit: Currently doesn’t have it. Riders seemed indifferent about implementing this feature, possibly relying on customer support for resolving disputes. However, I see a lot of messages in the local WA group that are proofs of delivery being sent by riders for orders incases where they had to submit it someplace or asked to leave at the doorstep.
Adding my two cents here, while the scanning /photo step may seem unneccessary, Zepto seems to follow security & cross-checking methods on all steps, so overall I appreciate that. For Blinkit, it seems a lot more reliant on just honesty of the rider. But as mentioned, this feature would be a great addition to the delivery flow.
However, Blinkit has a verification feature wherein you’ve to take a selfie everytime you want to start taking orders, for Zepto there’s no such feature. I think it’s a must have feature to avoid issues like id-pooling or rider identity theft .
3. Last-order Optimization
- Blinkit: Allows riders to opt for a final order close to their homes, potentially saving return journey costs. Considering approximately 380 million annual orders, this feature can lead to significant savings, so kudos to the product team.
- Zepto: Does not offer this option.
4. Delivery Timings
During my stint, I completed zero deliveries within the promised 10 minutes. Zepto, interestingly, marks deliveries as "arrived" once near the location, but actual handover can take an additional 5-10 minutes. Blinkit, however, seemed more transparent in this aspect, a point most regular users are aware of.
Rider Insights
A noteworthy comment from a fellow rider:
“Itne riders ho gaye hain, utna kaam nahi hai. Pehle main raat mein bhi rukta tha ab koi fayda nahi dikhta.”
Translation:
"There are more riders than orders now. I used to work even at night, but nowadays, there's no real benefit."
This observation holds to some extent. I experienced wait times of approximately 20 minutes, while others mentioned waiting up to an hour for an order assignment. I’m not sure where the gig economy is headed, but a crash seems to be coming soon.
An interesting delivery incident (Zepto)
My second order required pickup from two different locations (ground and first floors), creating unnecessary complexity. Treating it as two separate orders for one customer felt redundant. The issue escalated when I couldn’t mark the second order as arrived. Ironically, the customer, who was also a Zepto rider off duty due to illness, instructed me to call the store manager directly. At this point, I was completely unaware of how to?
(You can see in the second screenshot, the option to Mark as Arrived isn’t highlighted)
Suggestions: Add a button to directly contact the store manager/incharge, it’ll be helpful in cases like this, as well as emergency if needed.
Late-night Delivery Experience
Late-night deliveries proved enjoyable - calmer roads, pleasant weather, and less stress.
However, an urgent safety concern is protection from stray dogs, particularly after 10-11 PM. On three occasions, I narrowly escaped dog bites - a common issue echoed by other riders. Had I captured some pics, it would’ve been great, but I was busy saving myself lol.
Zepto store staff humorously commented on the ineffectiveness of injury claim processes:
“Are koi claim approve nahi hota hai, aur agar hota hai bhi toh itna time lagta hai ki tum theek ho kar ghar bhi aa jaoge.”
Translation:
"Claims rarely get approved, and by the time they do (if), you’re already healed and back home."
While the validity of this claim could not be verified personally4, both platforms should prioritize such issues immediately.
Recommendations for Rider Safety
For deliveries post-10 PM, platforms could:
- Indicate stray dog presence based on rider feedback.
- Include gate numbers and specify gates open 24x7 in customer addresses to assist navigation, reducing reliance on late-night customer calls.
Some more features
Blinkit has reporting features for poor roads and unsafe areas, which Zepto lacks entirely. However -
Blinkit could make this feature more prominent. Given customer order frequency (5-10), Blinkit could soon accumulate valuable data on road conditions. Post its rebranding to Eternal, and its recent B2B AI Customer Platform launch, Blinkit (via Zomato/Eternal) could leverage this data for a potential venture into navigation services.
After every order marked as delivered, Blinkit automatically informed me of the the earnings and the distance it took me for that order, whereas for Zepto I had to check that in the earnings section.
Zepto Earnings Section 
Blinkit post-order delivery pop-up
Dress Code and Company Culture
Blinkit store staff did ask me to follow a dress code: Blinkit t-shirts, full-length pants, and shoes. Zepto’s, however, did not emphasize dress code. Blinkit provided a t-shirt immediately after my first delivery, whereas the Zepto store manager informed me of a two-week wait.
Blinkit even has a fleet coach whom I can call for any help, and they conduct regular meetings so one can directly talk to them for questions regarding offers, earnings and even tips to maximise earnings. Zepto doesn’t have anything like such.
Building a culture goes a long way, and Zepto seems to lack it in a big way.
This concludes my observations5 from actively experiencing rider operations. Overall, the experience is good; there may be small caveats for improvements, but one has to appreciate the amount of work these companies have put in to make everything possible.
I would also love to attach a similar case study done by Sneha, just in case you wanna go down the rabbit hole.👇
Just for investigative purposes, I had no ill intentions.
This response from ChatGPT is purely based on my questions I asked. I’m not a developer, so I can’t personally verify it. Please let me know if it’s inaccurate. Here’s the ChatGPT link.
There are added incentives on top of it, and for high-order days there are extra-multipliers as well. Don’t consider this the absolute value.
I couldn’t get the Blinkit staff to comment on this, so I couldn’t mention it. Also, I intend no damage to the reputation of Zepto here, there are options in the rider apps to invoke such help if needed.
I did this as a product management case study and to understand how it works.
Great analysis Aum, your step by step detailed understanding about the concerns and other positive things are incredible. Amazing read 🔥
Your research and dedication are truly appreciated