Cash-rich quick commerce firms rush to grab dark store sites, personnel amid rapid growth

Quick commerce is red-hot, and a new battle is unfolding on two fronts as companies flush from recent fundraises at rich valuations go all out to expand operations. There is a rush to open dark stores, and an accompanying scramble to find the personnel to manage expanding infrastructure and supply chain.

There’s fierce competition for the right sites — now increasingly expensive and difficult to find in large cities — to set up these micro warehouses for servicing localities in the vicinity. Meanwhile, the likes of BigBasket, Zepto, Flipkart Minutes and Swiggy Instamart are recruiting aggressively, as well as poaching, people in the know told ET.

The resulting demand for human resources is another confrontation. “The hiring activity in quick commerce is at all levels. There are at least five big digitally native players competing for the pole position,” said Anshuman Das, founder and chief executive of search firm Longhouse Consulting. “The winner of this space is likely to capture the biggest ecommerce category — grocery.”

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