Swiggy bets on exclusive products to deepen Instamart shopping

MUMBAI: In quick commerce, speed may win the first order, but exclusivity could secure the next hundred. Swiggy is now looking beyond the race to deliver groceries in minutes, betting instead that products shoppers cannot find elsewhere will keep them coming back to Instamart.

The company has unveiled “Switch”, a new retail proposition designed to reposition Instamart from a convenience-led platform into a destination for exclusive shopping. The initiative will combine exclusive brand partnerships, special pricing and exclusive stock keeping units (SKUs) across both food and non-food categories, while also strengthening Swiggy’s growing portfolio of private labels.

The move signals a strategic shift in India’s fiercely competitive quick commerce market, where companies are increasingly searching for new ways to stand out beyond faster deliveries and discount-led customer acquisition. Rather than competing solely on speed, Swiggy is looking to build a differentiated catalogue that gives shoppers a reason to choose Instamart over rival platforms.

As part of the strategy, Swiggy plans to collaborate with brands to launch products that will be available exclusively on Instamart. At the same time, it will continue expanding its in-house labels, including No!ce and Nectr. According to the company, No!ce has evolved beyond being just another private label and is now positioned as a broader retail platform offering quality products at accessible prices.

The company believes exclusive assortments can play a significant role in increasing customer loyalty and encouraging higher spending. Swiggy estimates that its most frequent users currently spend only 15 per cent to 20 per cent of their overall shopping wallet on the platform, while occasional customers contribute less than 5 per cent. The retailer sees substantial headroom to grow both segments by making Instamart more relevant for everyday shopping rather than only urgent purchases.

Swiggy plans to target these users differently. Regular shoppers will be encouraged through greater convenience and a wider product assortment, while occasional users will be drawn in through affordable propositions aimed at improving purchase frequency and long-term retention.

The retail push comes alongside an aggressive expansion of Instamart’s business. Swiggy has set an ambitious target of crossing ₹1.5 lakh crore in gross order value (GOV) by FY31, a more than five-fold jump from the ₹28,000 crore recorded in FY26.

Momentum is already building. During the first quarter of FY27, Instamart reported a gross order value of ₹7,907 crore, marking a 40 per cent year-on-year increase. The platform now serves more than 1.4 crore monthly transacting users across over 130 cities through a network of more than 1,200 dark stores.

Swiggy also indicated that profitability is improving alongside expansion. More than 45 per cent of its dark store network is already contribution-margin positive, while five of its seven largest markets, including Bengaluru, have turned profitable.

As competition intensifies among India’s quick commerce players, Swiggy’s latest strategy suggests the next battleground may not simply be about who delivers fastest, but about who offers shoppers something they cannot buy anywhere else.