DMart is planning to open far more stores across India, adding 65 to 70 new locations every year. The retail chain wants to reach 2,200 stores by 2030, more than five times its current 424 locations. Meanwhile, quick commerce apps like Blinkit and JioMart are gaining users at a fast pace, with Blinkit now having 30 million people using the app every week. These two retail models are heading in very different directions.
DMart’s growth plan is straightforward. The company makes steady money from each store it opens. A mature DMart store generates consistent profits with margins around 5 to 6 percent. The company plans to expand heavily into areas where it barely operates today, especially North India, Eastern India, and Central India. Each new store will be bigger than before, around 50,000 to 60,000 square feet, with room to fulfill online orders from the same location.
Quick Commerce Dominance and Scale Growth in Weekly Users
Quick commerce apps are exploding in cities. Here’s where things stand with user adoption:
– Blinkit leads with 30.1 million weekly active users and delivers 1.65 to 1.75 million orders daily
– JioMart added users at 55 percent year-on-year growth and now has 6.8 million weekly users
– Swiggy’s Instamart, launched just this year, already attracted 8.2 million new weekly users
– Combined quick commerce players deliver between 4.15 to 4.45 million orders daily in March 2025, double the previous year’s numbers
The speed is the attraction. Blinkit, Zepto, and JioMart promise delivery in 10 minutes or less. People order single items or small quantities and get them within the hour. It is convenient but comes at a premium price. A bottle of shampoo costs more from Blinkit than from DMart because delivery and fulfillment add costs.
How DMart and Quick Commerce Actually Differ
DMart and quick commerce serve different shopping occasions. When someone needs groceries for the week, they go to DMart or order from DMart Ready for bulk shopping. When they run out of milk at night or want snacks immediately, they use Blinkit. These are not the same customer moment.
DMart’s stores work well in towns and smaller cities where people have time to do weekly shopping trips. Quick commerce needs dense urban areas where many customers live within a small radius. The delivery economics change dramatically between cities and towns. Quick commerce burns money trying to deliver profitably in spread-out areas. DMart’s lower prices work better for planned, weekly shopping.
The margin story is telling. DMart makes 5 to 6 percent profit on sales. Quick commerce companies are still spending money to grab market share, losing Rs 5,000 crore combined every quarter across the industry. Only recently has Blinkit started making profits at scale. The business model gap is real: DMart prints steady cash, while quick commerce companies are in a race to become profitable.
Why Both Will Exist and Grow
India’s retail market is so large and fragmented that both models will likely thrive. Traditional retail spending on groceries tops Rs 275,000 crore annually. Quick commerce is tapping the convenience premium, not replacing wholesale. Goldman Sachs thinks quick commerce could grow to $57 billion by 2030, a massive number but still a fraction of total grocery spending.
DMart’s expansion into 2,200 stores reaches areas where quick commerce cannot operate profitably. A store in Lucknow, Patna, or Raipur gives DMart customers what they need. Quick commerce works in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi where population density justifies the delivery costs.
For shoppers, the choice is real. Buy weekly at DMart for value, or grab items instantly from Blinkit for convenience. Both approaches will shape how Indians shop for groceries for years. DMart builds profits now; quick commerce builds scale now betting on profits later.
