According to reports, Flipkart is set to expand aggressively in quick commerce with plans afoot to hit 500-550 dark stores before its flagship Big Billion Days sale event this year.

The company will have 300 such mini warehouses by March, as it emerges as a challenger to o Zomato’s Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart, according to reports.

Walmart-owned Flipkart entered quick commerce, the fastest growing online shopping segment, around August last year and currently has 120-150 dark stores in dense locations. With the plans for 2025 underway, this would be the fastest scale up in the segment amid rising competition.

They (Flipkart) are on track to cross around 300 by March end. The over 500-store target indicates the firm’s plan to be ready before its flagship sale which typically occurs during October-November, as per reports.

Dark stores — as well as their size and location — are key to the operations of quick delivery platforms, to be able to keep a wide range of articles and deliver them in 15-20 minutes on average.

Flipkart, according to people aware of its plans, has gained market share for quick delivery in its home turf of Bengaluru while expanding into high-value order segments like electronics, appliances and smartphones — an area Blinkit and Zepto are starting to target with new brand partnerships listing their products on the platforms.

Swiggy Instamart took over two years to hit 700 dark stores that it achieved in December 2024. While Zepto topped the 900-mark this January, Blinkit has more than 1,000 dark stores.