Hey there,
In our latest Field Notes, we decode the operational playbook of three operators who've mastered Quick Commerce—a channel that's now an essential infrastructure for D2C brands in India.
For consumer brands, Quick Commerce isn't just another sales channel. It's a complete rewiring of how inventory, pricing, and demand work. The most successful brands have realized that mastering this channel requires treating it as a distinct operating system.
For this Field Notes article, we spoke with three operators who've cracked the Quick Commerce code at different scales:
Prince, founder of Plush – scaled from zero to ₹100+ crore with Quick Commerce as a key channel, building one of India's fastest-growing female hygiene care brands.
Tushar, founder of Perfora – created one of India's leading new-age oral care brands, successfully scaling across all major Quick Commerce platforms.
Sri, founder of Gobblecube – helps D2C brands optimize their Quick Commerce operations through data-driven decision making.
Here are some earned secrets you won't find in typical startup advice:
📊 The Availability Ceiling: "If you're available in only 82% of dark stores, your upside is already capped at 82% of demand," explains Sri. "Before spending on marketing, fix your availability leaks."
🏪 The Assortment Reality: "Retail's first job is assortment, pricing is second, convenience is third," shares Prince. "Customers come to Quick Commerce for variety more than speed—a counter-intuitive truth most founders miss."
🎯 The Need for the Right Hook: "We were engaged in conversations for a long time but the listing wasn't happening," shares Tushar. "Then instead of offering our regular products, we offered our tongue cleaner—they didn't have one on the platform. That hook got us into every pod they had."
🔄 The Hyperlocal Challenge: Unlike e-commerce where delayed shipments mean late delivery, missing a Quick Commerce warehouse appointment can knock you out of stock for weeks. "Each dark store is its own P&L—if you're slow in Coimbatore, your Chennai stock can't cover it."
💰 The Hidden P&L Leak: "Vendor reconciliations sound like back-office housekeeping, but they're one of the easiest ways to leak cash," warns Prince. "A platform can auto-raise debit notes for 'missing' units you never shipped. One such mistake multiplied across 30-35 cities quietly strips margin."
🎯 The Category Manager's Secret: "If the category manager personally loves your product, half the battle is won," reveals Prince. "But they need proof you can be a ₹1-crore-a-month business; others care more about a unique right to win."
Curious how these founders made these frameworks work in practice? Read our full article with detailed insights on building sustainable Quick Commerce operations.
Read the Full Article → https://blume.vc/commentaries/quick-commerce-handbook-field-notes-from-the-frontlines
Until next time,
Blume Team
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