Quick commerce and e-commerce are changing how Indians buy groceries, personal care, electronics and gifts. Delivery in minutes, deep discounts and large assortments have pulled many households in big cities into the habit. Brands and sellers now ask new questions: Who orders on quick commerce? What do they buy? How does price compare with the kirana store? Where should we put our stock? Quick commerce market research in India gives answers from shoppers and sellers, not guesses.
Why research matters for online and quick commerce
Platform dashboards show your sales. They do not show why a shopper chose a competitor, which pack size they wanted but could not find, or whether a discount built loyalty or only one-time orders. Field and online research fill these gaps. This matters most for FMCG, packaged food, personal care, electronics and D2C brands that sell on both modern platforms and general trade. See also our guide to FMCG retail audit and market mapping.
7 studies for brands, sellers and dark store operators
- Shopper usage and attitude survey. How often people order, what they buy, which apps they use and why they switch.
- Basket and category study. Which products are bought together, which categories are growing and where shoppers still prefer the local store.
- Price and promotion benchmarking. Compare your MRP and selling price with competitors on platforms and in nearby retail outlets.
- Availability and shelf audit. Check whether your products are in stock and visible across dark stores, platforms and stores, pin code by pin code.
- Brand awareness and trial study. Measure awareness, trial and repeat among target shoppers before and after a campaign.
- Seller and distributor study. Understand margins, returns, delivery issues and platform dependence from the seller side.
- Customer satisfaction and delivery experience survey. Track delivery time, product quality, packaging and complaint handling.
City-wise view
Quick commerce habits are strongest in dense metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai, and spreading to Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Visakhapatnam. In Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem, Tiruppur, Hosur and Bhubaneswar, shoppers mix online orders with the neighbourhood store, so a brand needs both in its plan. A study should compare cities side by side so you can decide where to push stock, ads and offers.
What you get
- Which cities and pin codes deserve your next investment
- Where you lose sales: price, availability, visibility or awareness
- A clear view of how online and general trade shoppers differ
- Evidence for your platform and distributor negotiations
Not sure which method fits? Read how qualitative and quantitative research work together.
Cities we cover
ARS Market Research Services is based in Chennai and runs field studies across India with its own investigator network. We work in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem, Tiruppur, Hosur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar, and in towns and villages across India. See all cities we serve.
Planning a quick commerce or e-commerce project? Tell us the city and the decision you need to make. We reply with an approach, timeline and cost, usually within one working day. WhatsApp 9789976662 or request a proposal. You can also browse ready reports in the ARS Marketplace.