Flipkart has launched a standalone app for its quick-commerce business, Flipkart Minutes, and is piloting a food-delivery service as the Walmart-backed company expands beyond its main shopping platform ahead of its flagship annual sale.
The Minutes app is currently available on the Google Play Store through an early-access pilot for a limited group of users, according to people familiar with the developments. Flipkart is collecting feedback on the app before a wider rollout planned ahead of the Big Billion Days sale in October.
The standalone launch marks a new phase in Flipkart’s effort to compete in the quick-commerce market, where platforms promise deliveries of groceries and other products within a short period. The company had earlier indicated that it planned to introduce a separate Minutes app later this year. Economic Times first reported that plan in April.
Flipkart is also testing a food-delivery service called Eat In among selected employees in Bengaluru. The company plans to expand the pilot to all employees by September 15 before considering a public launch, according to people aware of the developments. The service is expected to be tested internally before the company makes a broader decision on its rollout.
The moves come as Flipkart responds to changes in how consumers access online shopping and delivery services. Its share of monthly active users has declined in recent years as customers have shifted to quick-commerce platforms, according to earlier reporting cited by Economic Times. Flipkart and Amazon are also expanding into adjacent areas, including food delivery, in-app video and other services as they seek to retain user engagement.
Flipkart’s standalone app separates the Minutes service from the company’s wider e-commerce interface. The approach allows the quick-commerce unit to develop a dedicated user experience while the company evaluates how customers respond to faster delivery-led shopping. The early-access phase will allow Flipkart to gather feedback and improve the app before the planned wider release.
The company’s expansion also places greater emphasis on the urban delivery systems needed to support quick commerce, including local fulfilment operations and short-distance logistics. The source material does not provide details on the number of stores, delivery locations, product categories or delivery-time targets for the standalone app.
Flipkart has previously played down the idea of quick commerce as a separate business, while continuing to expand its presence in the segment. The company’s latest moves indicate that Minutes will have a more visible consumer-facing role as Flipkart prepares for its largest annual shopping period.
The next stated milestones are the wider testing of the Minutes app before the October Big Billion Days sale and the planned expansion of the Eat In food-delivery pilot to Flipkart employees by September 15. A public launch date for the food-delivery service has not been announced.
