Quick Commerce Adoption in India: Consumer Perceptions, Behavioral Changes and Sustainability Expectations

Abstract

Quick commerce (Q-commerce) which delivers fast grocery and other daily needs, has become an extremely popular retailing form in urban India. As urban consumer lifestyles are constantly evolving and their desire for convenience grows, quick commerce platforms have been changing every day consumer shopping behaviors, yet, there is very little academic research on this phenomenon, especially from the perspective of sustainability. This research investigates how consumer perception, shopping behavior and sustainability expectation shape the acceptance and continued use of quick commerce platforms in India. Specifically, it studies the differences between how people shop using Q-commerce and how they shopped at traditional kirana stores, what drives consumers preferences and usage frequency for Q-commerce and whether consumers will take on sustainable initiatives through trade-offs in their purchasing behaviors. Data was collected through a quantitative cross-sectional survey with 113 customers of a Q-commerce platform in large Indian cities. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Findings reveal that the adoption rate of Q-commerce is relatively high. Speed of delivery and convenience are the driving factors. Satisfaction with the customer service is found to be the most powerful factor in determining the continued use of Q-commerce. Sustainability is perceived as moderately important but consumers show a significant attitude-behavior gap, since most consumers are not willing to pay more or give up convenience for sustainability.