Zepto will now deliver your medicines in just 10 minutes
What's the story
Zepto, a quick commerce platform, has launched a new service called Zepto Pharmacy. The innovative offering promises to deliver essential medicines within just 10 minutes. Currently, the service is available in select areas of Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Hyderabad. This expansion marks Zepto's diversification beyond its core instant grocery delivery model into the online pharmacy segment.
Market competition
Competing with Blinkit and established e-pharmacy platforms
Zepto's entry into the online pharmacy space comes after rival Blinkit launched a prescription medicine delivery service in select areas of India last week. While Blinkit also introduced a rapid medical assistance initiative with a 10-minute ambulance service focused on emergency response, Zepto's new service directly competes with established e-pharmacy platforms like Tata 1mg, PharmEasy, and Apollo 24/7. The move also pits Zepto against quick commerce players testing similar services.
Service development
Addressing logistical and regulatory challenges
Aadit Palicha, co-founder and CEO of Zepto, announced the launch of Zepto Pharmacy on LinkedIn. He said it was the result of a year-long effort to refine operations in this complex category with logistical and regulatory challenges. "Over the past 12 months, the team has worked tirelessly to perfect the customer experience, supply chain, and compliance at a small scale," he wrote.
Product expansion
Over 10,000 SKUs to be added to Zepto Pharmacy soon
Zepto Pharmacy currently offers over 1,000 top products across all major pharmacy categories. The company has a pipeline of more than 10,000 SKUs to come online soon. Palicha said, "If we execute well, we believe this service can seriously improve the lives of millions of customers across the country and help make important medicines easier to access when we need them the most."