Amazon Enters Quick Commerce Race with 'Amazon Now' Pilot in Bengaluru

Amazon has launched a pilot program for its quick commerce service, Amazon Now, in select areas of Bengaluru. This marks the e-commerce giant's entry into the increasingly competitive 10-minute delivery space.

The service, previously rumored to be named Tez, represents Amazon's strategic response to the growing popularity of quick commerce platforms among urban Indian consumers. This is not Amazon's first foray into fast grocery delivery; they already have a service called Amazon Fresh, which currently offers two-hour delivery.

"Amazon has always focused on offering customers a wide selection with convenient and fast delivery. We are always innovating to offer even more value to customers, and this limited pilot in select pin codes of Bengaluru is a trial to offer even faster speeds on a selection of everyday essentials from our sellers that customers often need quickly," an Amazon spokesperson stated.

Amazon's entry follows similar moves by other major players in the Indian e-commerce space. Flipkart launched Flipkart Minutes in August last year, while Tata Digital introduced Neu Flash, powered by Big Basket, through its super app Tata Neu.

The quick commerce sector has seen significant activity in recent months. Zepto, led by Aadit Palicha, raised approximately $1.35 billion last year as it prepares for a potential public debut. Meanwhile, market leader Blinkit reported losses in the quarter that ended December 2024, following a profitable period, with dark store expansion affecting its margins. Swiggy's Instamart also experienced margin pressure in the third quarter of FY25 due to costs associated with customer acquisition and expansion efforts.

Amazon does not want to be left out of the QuickCommerce race; so it has partnered with various logistics players to support its quick delivery operations.