Quick-commerce platforms and restaurant chains are rolling out discounts, deals and promotions around the Indian Premier League, hoping to reverse setbacks due to weeks of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) shortages and supply disruptions.
Amazon Now, Flipkart Minutes and Instamart this weekend launched ‘match-ready’ deals on food and beverages brands with discounts of over 40%, while cafes and chains have kick-started promotions to leverage the high-decibel tournament that started on Saturday.
Terming summer and cricket as a “natural pairing,” Rahul Singh, founder and chief executive of The Beer Cafe, said, “With the long stretch of a never-ending March behind us, we are now stepping into April and May—the peak of summer and cricket season.”
The first two “splendid” matches over the weekend have set the tone for the tournament, he added.
The IPL will run till May 31. It comes soon after India retained its T20 World Cup earlier this month, further fuelling the buzz.
“Every year, IPL presents a strong opportunity for food delivery and quick commerce players to drive incremental growth,” said Anand Ramanathan, partner at Deloitte India. “The tournament also serves as a key marketing lever for platforms, helping sustain customer-acquisition momentum in both metros and non-metros.”
Promotional strategies this year include discounts and bundled offers, he said.
Chocolate maker Mondelez on Monday announced a dedicated section at the Wankhede Stadium reserved for fans attending their first IPL match, and a partnership with Mumbai Indians for limited-edition signed merchandise. Nitin Saini, vice president – marketing at Mondelez, called it natural “for a nation that lives and breathes cricket.”
A Flipkart Minutes spokesperson said the quick delivery platform is anticipating “up to a six-fold spike in demand” during the IPL season. “Initial trends during the weekend indicate strong traction in categories such as ready-to-cook snacks, aerated beverages, and ice cubes, reflecting the growing preference for convenient, match-time essentials,” the person told ET.
For most of this month, restaurants and cafes faced acute shortage of commercial LPG, caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia conflict, forcing the government to prioritise supply to households. Scores of small to mid-sized chains shut down temporarily, while larger chains such as Domino’s Pizza operator Jubilant FoodWorks faced constraints at certain outlets. Over 90% of the country’s LPG imports come from West Asia.
Many chains switched to alternate cooking methods such as induction and piped natural gas, and removed LPG-guzzling items from menus to minimise the impact.
The crisis affected food delivery also.
Now, delivery platforms are worried about rider availability, with many gig workers from poll-bound states like West Bengal leaving for their hometowns to vote in the assembly elections next month.
“We’re gearing up for a sharp uptick in orders during the IPL, but the bigger variable right now is rider supply, which is slightly unpredictable right now,” a senior quick commerce executive said.
Ramanathan of Deloitte said platforms are boosting hiring by up to 30%, “rolling out perks such as flexible shifts, heat allowances, and smarter AI-powered routes,” to keep up with the demand. They are also expanding their dark store network. “IPL continues to behave like a short-term season for the hospitality sector,” he said.
Zomato and Blinkit parent Eternal, Swiggy, Zepto and Amazon did not respond to ET's queries.
Amazon Now, Flipkart Minutes and Instamart this weekend launched ‘match-ready’ deals on food and beverages brands with discounts of over 40%, while cafes and chains have kick-started promotions to leverage the high-decibel tournament that started on Saturday.
Terming summer and cricket as a “natural pairing,” Rahul Singh, founder and chief executive of The Beer Cafe, said, “With the long stretch of a never-ending March behind us, we are now stepping into April and May—the peak of summer and cricket season.”
The first two “splendid” matches over the weekend have set the tone for the tournament, he added.
The IPL will run till May 31. It comes soon after India retained its T20 World Cup earlier this month, further fuelling the buzz.
“Every year, IPL presents a strong opportunity for food delivery and quick commerce players to drive incremental growth,” said Anand Ramanathan, partner at Deloitte India. “The tournament also serves as a key marketing lever for platforms, helping sustain customer-acquisition momentum in both metros and non-metros.”
Promotional strategies this year include discounts and bundled offers, he said.
Chocolate maker Mondelez on Monday announced a dedicated section at the Wankhede Stadium reserved for fans attending their first IPL match, and a partnership with Mumbai Indians for limited-edition signed merchandise. Nitin Saini, vice president – marketing at Mondelez, called it natural “for a nation that lives and breathes cricket.”
A Flipkart Minutes spokesperson said the quick delivery platform is anticipating “up to a six-fold spike in demand” during the IPL season. “Initial trends during the weekend indicate strong traction in categories such as ready-to-cook snacks, aerated beverages, and ice cubes, reflecting the growing preference for convenient, match-time essentials,” the person told ET.
For most of this month, restaurants and cafes faced acute shortage of commercial LPG, caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia conflict, forcing the government to prioritise supply to households. Scores of small to mid-sized chains shut down temporarily, while larger chains such as Domino’s Pizza operator Jubilant FoodWorks faced constraints at certain outlets. Over 90% of the country’s LPG imports come from West Asia.
Many chains switched to alternate cooking methods such as induction and piped natural gas, and removed LPG-guzzling items from menus to minimise the impact.
The crisis affected food delivery also.
Now, delivery platforms are worried about rider availability, with many gig workers from poll-bound states like West Bengal leaving for their hometowns to vote in the assembly elections next month.
“We’re gearing up for a sharp uptick in orders during the IPL, but the bigger variable right now is rider supply, which is slightly unpredictable right now,” a senior quick commerce executive said.
Ramanathan of Deloitte said platforms are boosting hiring by up to 30%, “rolling out perks such as flexible shifts, heat allowances, and smarter AI-powered routes,” to keep up with the demand. They are also expanding their dark store network. “IPL continues to behave like a short-term season for the hospitality sector,” he said.
Zomato and Blinkit parent Eternal, Swiggy, Zepto and Amazon did not respond to ET's queries.
