Q-Commerce, or ‘Quick Commerce,’ is a short-term for on-demand or speedy delivery, which is a rising channel. It refers to businesses that deliver things (mostly groceries) in less than an hour or as little as 10-15 minutes. The terms “on-demand delivery” and “e-grocery” are sometimes used interchangeably.

It is, however, e-commerce in a new, speedier, and more localized form. Through their micro-warehouses network, often called ‘cloud shops’ or ‘dark stores,’ Q-Commerce enterprises target communities in big cities. It combines the best of traditional e-commerce with last-mile delivery technologies, with a focus on a small variety and quick delivery.

E-Commerce vs. Q-Commerce

People always looking for faster delivery. Normal e-commerce deliveries usually take a minimum of 2 days to deliver what they ordered. In Q-commerce, it promises the customer a fast delivery within an hour with no extra charge.

E-commerce is a very common term that almost everyone knows very well.

Q-Commerce is a newly generated term as well as a newly generated delivery method that comes to the trend list. Customers always looking for something different each day. For every e-commerce purchase, they will check which e-commerce company has less shipping time. Customers prefer the one which delivers their purchased items quickly. Q-Commerce is meant for neighborhood retailers. Skilled delivery riders collect the items from dark stores and deliver them quickly to the customer.

Inventory management is really important for both e-commerce and q-commerce. When compared to e-commerce, the value of each second in q-commerce is far too high. So Q-commerce requires a well-established inventory management system and an active skilled set of laborers who is willing to work anytime. It needs an online order management solution, delivery management system, delivery tracking system, stock-taking system, etc. to fulfill customer satisfaction. After all, Q-commerce is a speed game. You have to focus more on time to win this market.

E-commerce giants like amazon carry 353 million SKUs and of which only 12 million are included in Amazon prime express delivery which offers 2 days delivery. For e-commerce giants, more fulfillment centers have to be started to enter to E-commerce space, which requires more infrastructure and planning. One key point is Q- commerce is mainly focused on small quantities of goods that can deliver fast. In Q-commerce dark stores are mainly used for fast pickup and delivery. A dark store is a big warehouse that may be used for a “click-and-collect” service, in which the delivery driver picks up an item that the customer ordered online. Now groceries and pharmacies are mainly using this Q-commerce delivery.

The Q-Commerce business is seeing a lot of competition. Differentiating between many on-demand groceries providers might be tough. As a result, unique selling propositions such as speedier delivery, improved Customer Experience, and near-instant satisfaction are critical to success.

Q- Commerce market size in the Middle East increasing every year. As per a recent survey, it will reach 24 billion USD by the end of 2024. One of the better sides of pandemics is the blooming of new business strategies and opportunities. During the pandemic, Talabat started 120 Talabat mart stores with 24/7 service and delivery within 30 minutes. In December 2021, Careem entered into the Q-commerce space by launching Careem Quick, a dark store grocery network, targeting a delivery time of 15 minutes. The super app Quick will initially serve in JVC, the Marina, and Business Bay in Dubai, and this year they are planning to expand it to more areas.

“Our true competitor is the offline supermarket. That’s where the majority of customers are spending their time,” Chase Lario, Careem’s head of grocery told during the Careem Quick launch. Q-Commerce is undoubtedly one of the greatest marketing opportunities that can implement globally. In today’s marketplace, the appropriate mix of technology, infrastructure, and an unbroken emphasis on customer experience may help this booming business advance quickly.