Hundreds of emerging direct-to-consumer (D2C) firms are lining up to list on quick-commerce platforms and e-commerce marketplaces in anticipation of a spike in demand, indicating the early festive season momentum.
This surge occurs even though rapid commerce companies are asking brands to bid for visibility on their apps, raising ad rates by 40–50% in important festive categories. According to industry officials, leading rapid commerce businesses like Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart collectively reported ad revenues of over Rs. 3,000 crore (US $ 341 million) in fiscal 2025.
According to GroupM’s This Year Next Year (TYNY) research for 2025, retail media, mostly online advertising spending, may account for 13.2% of India’s overall advertising spending this year, increasing at a 40% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2019.
To raise their revenue, quick-commerce platforms are launching new advertising solutions ahead of the four-month festive season and encouraging firms to spend more on advertising. In an effort to curb growing losses, quick commerce businesses are increasing the pressure on sellers and brands to increase their ad expenditure on the platforms.
A three-tiered onboarding system has been introduced by Swiggy Instamart, which asks sellers to select bundles that range in price from Rs. 4.5 lakh (US $ 5,123) to Rs. 9 lakh (US $ 10,246). Over a three-month period, the sum can be used for advertisements. Depending on the brands and sectors, Zepto has been requesting that new and small brands spend between Rs. 2 lakh (US $ 2,277) and Rs. 7.5 lakh (US $ 8,539) per month on advertisements. After listing their products, sellers are strongly encouraged to boost their advertising expenditures by Blinkit, which is owned by Eternal Ltd. and charges an onboarding fee of Rs. 25,000 (US $ 285) per stock-keeping unit (SKU) each state.
