India’s quick-commerce unicorn Zepto is making headlines again — and not all of them are rosy. Here’s the scoop:
💸 New Charges, New Strategy
Zepto, along with Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart, is shaking up how you pay for 10-minute deliveries.
They’ve introduced:
Handling fees (₹6–30) on smaller orders
Flat surcharges if your cart is under ₹175
Why? It’s all about tightening costs and pushing customers toward higher cart values. Think of it as the “Netflix of groceries” making sure you don’t just order one packet of chips!
🧼 Trouble Behind the Curtains
While your groceries arrive in style, things behind the scenes are… not always clean.
A few Zepto dark stores have been caught with:
Expired or spoiled products 😷
Poor hygiene — so bad that a Dharavi warehouse was shut down by Maharashtra FDA
Social media hasn’t been kind either, with complaints going viral — and trust taking a hit.
📉 Growth Slowing, But Not Stopping
After its explosive rise, Zepto’s momentum has started to cool off. Investors are watching closely.
They’ve delayed their much-anticipated IPO to 2026, and whispers of a Series G round are floating — but liquidity is tightening.
🔍 So, What’s Next for Zepto?
Still a major player with 1.5L+ riders & 75+ cities
Fighting to balance fast delivery with profit
Facing pressure on hygiene, pricing, and transparency
Final Verdict:
Zepto still delivers fast — but if it doesn’t clean up its act (literally and financially), the speed game might run out of gas.