After Genie, Swiggy now shutting down online storefront 'Minis'
What's the story
Swiggy, a leading player in the food and grocery delivery space, is shutting down its 'Minis' online storefront platform. The decision comes as part of the company's strategy to focus more on its core business areas of food delivery and quick commerce. The firm has informed sellers that the service will be discontinued by August 10.
Transition instructions
Deadline for shutting down 'Minis'
Swiggy has advised all sellers using the 'Minis' platform to finish any pending orders, withdraw their payouts, and shut down their storefronts before the August 10 deadline. The 'Minis' service was launched in late 2022 as a way for small businesses and creators to set up simple online stores, without having to create a website or pay any commissions.
Business model
'Minis' was part of Swiggy's SaaS tools for small businesses
The 'Minis' platform was part of Swiggy's larger plan to create software-as-a-service (SaaS)-style tools for small businesses and independent sellers. The company has tested a number of merchant-facing features over the years, including Swiggy Genie for hyperlocal commerce. However, in 2023, it restructured the offering to work as a "link in bio" landing page for Instagram-first or WhatsApp-driven businesses.
Market challenges
Competition with platforms like Linktree and Dukaan
The restructuring of 'Minis' brought it into direct competition with platforms like Linktree, Dukaan, and Meta's native storefront features. Unlike Shopify or Dukaan, which provide deeper integrations for inventory management, customer data handling, and marketing activities, 'Minis' remained a simple tool aimed at sellers who mainly relied on social media for reach and discovery.