10-minute delivery backlash forces a rethink: execution over speed

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. BENGALURU : Food-delivery companies' move to phase out the 10-minute delivery proposition to ease safety and regulatory pressures is likely to push up customer acquisition costs and slow new customer additions—key metrics for building scale—in the short term, according to experts.

Although existing users are expected to remain engaged, the absence of a clear speed promise could make it harder to attract first-time users, for whom such messaging has historically served as a strong hook, said Satish Meena, the founder of market research firm Datum Intelligence. “In the near term, new customer additions could slow because food delivery as a category is anyway seeing slower growth in transacting users, and what we’re largely seeing now is a switch rather than true incremental customers.

If delivery timelines extend to 15-20 minutes, the differentiation versus regular food delivery narrows further," said Meena. The top food-delivery companies—Swiggy Ltd (Bolt, Snacc) and Eternal Ltd (Blinkit’s Bistro)—each offer specific services promising delivery of a limited, high-demand assortment of snacks and beverages from select nearby eateries within 10 minutes.

But they have removed the 10-minute delivery proposition from marketing material, including app descriptions, after a 13 January ANI report said the Union labour minister Mansukh Mandaviya has urged major hyperlocal platforms to move away from aggressive timelines, citing concerns around rider safety and working conditions. The impact is also visible in advertising performance.