Food Delivery Apps Set New Order Milestones on New Year’s Eve

The final day of 2024 marked a monumental day for quick commerce and food delivery services in India. As people turned to home delivery for their New Year’s celebrations, platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket reported an unprecedented surge in orders. The demand ranged from party essentials to daily groceries, highlighting the growing reliance on these services.

Preparation for the Surge

To handle the overwhelming demand, platforms made extensive preparations. They set up command centers and hired temporary workers to keep operations smooth. Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart both reported that their order volumes had already surpassed those of the previous year by early evening. Blinkit’s CEO, Albinder Dhindsa, took to the streets to assist with packing and delivering orders, while also launching a large-order fleet in Delhi and Gurugram to manage bulk deliveries of party goods and electronics.

Bengaluru Tops the Chart

Bengaluru led the charge in food delivery and quick commerce orders. Swiggy Instamart saw its highest-ever order volumes, surpassing even major festive seasons like Diwali and Mother’s Day. Rohit Kapoor, Swiggy’s food marketplace CEO, noted that Bengaluru also topped the charts for Dine Out bookings, with many residents opting for cloud kitchens and restaurants to celebrate. Curefoods, a prominent cloud kitchen startup, also saw its highest order numbers in Bengaluru, followed by cities like Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Delhi-NCR.

Increased Demand Across Cities

As demand surged, Rebel Foods reported a three-to-five-fold increase in orders. Swiggy expanded its Instamart service to 44 new cities, with Bhubaneswar and Mangaluru becoming high-demand hubs.

Incentives for Delivery Partners

The spike in orders made for a busy day for delivery partners. To keep up with demand, platforms rolled out attractive incentives. Swiggy Instamart offered Rs 15 per delivery on December 31, while BigBasket introduced a tiered incentive program. Positive tipping also boosted delivery partner earnings. Shafiq Ali, a Mumbai-based delivery partner, shared his experience of the contrast between the busy New Year’s Eve and the quieter days after Christmas. He had already completed 11 orders by the end of the day, as per the ET report.

Surprising Trends in Consumer Preferences

Unexpected trends also emerged during the New Year rush. Blinkit reported a sevenfold increase in grape orders, which netizens linked to the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes for prosperity. Swiggy Instamart saw a spike in orders for chocolates, chips, and soft drinks. Meanwhile, BigBasket noticed a surge in sales of ice cubes, disposable cups, party games, and even garbage bags. Zepto recorded 3,345 ice cube orders per hour at 7:30 PM, more than double the previous year’s numbers.

Conclusion: The Growing Role of Quick Commerce

The events of New Year’s Eve reinforced the importance of quick commerce and food delivery in modern celebrations. With consumer preferences shifting and demand skyrocketing, these platforms continue to play a crucial role in shaping how people celebrate. As they continue to adapt, the impact of these services is only set to grow.