Walmart’s PhonePe enters quick commerce market with ‘Pincode’ (#1683129)

Walmart owned digital wallet business PhonePe has entered the quick commerce market in India and rolled out a pilot programme to offer e-commerce deliveries in between 10 and 20 minutes in select metro locations with an app named ‘Pincode.’

PhonePe’s initial quick commerce launch focuses on a marketplace approach, the Times of India reported. The Pincode service has gone live in select addresses in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Varanasi.
 
The majority of quick commerce retailers use dark stores situated within urban areas to enable them to deliver goods swiftly. However, PhonePe’s Pincode uses a network of local kirana stores to connect them with shoppers nearby, ET Retail reported. This reduces the need for investment in the service as Pincode neither has to manage warehouses nor store inventory itself.
 
The move follows Walmart owned Flipkart’s recent foray into the quick commerce sector, a fast growing market in India and one that is increasingly being embraced by fashion, jewellery, and beauty businesses. Pincode’s pilot programme features product categories including personal care products, sporting goods, and groceries among others.
 
Earlier in the year, PhonePe expanded its united payments interface operations across a number of countries to enable app users to avail PhonePe’s services abroad. “Experience seamless payments when you travel internationally,” announced PhonePe on Facebook. “PhonePe UPI accepted in Singapore, Mauritius, Nepal, and more locations globally. Activate UPI International today.”