On September 12, I arrived at Zepto’s dark store in Bellandur, a suburb in Bengaluru, 15 minutes early, only to discover that the entire lane was a hub for quick commerce. Zepto, First Club, Swiggy, Blinkit—every major player had a presence there. It felt as if the street had been taken over by dark stores. While waiting outside, I noticed a constant stream of delivery personnel zipping in and out on Yulu e-bikes. At least 10 riders entered or exited Zepto’s store within 2 minutes.
Outside, an informal ecosystem had sprung up. A woman sold rice, dal and egg curry from a cart. There was a tea stall nearby, a snack shop and a Yulu bike centre. Before rushing into the store, delivery men placed orders with her for lunch, asking her to pack their meals. Quick UPI payments and quick meals—time is money for them.
Once inside the Zepto superstore, I was struck by the sheer organisation. Spread across 5,000 sq ft, the space was neatly divided into aisles labelled with alphanumeric codes. From apparel and toys to high-value electronics, everything had their place. Tiny items like rubber bands and oil sachets were stored in multi-compartment trays—an ingenious way to save space.
Later we entered the 4,500 sq ft dark store dedicated to groceries and perishables. It was segmented into ambient, chiller and freezer zones, housing everything from fresh produce to dairy and frozen goods. Then came Zepto Café, where a chocolate sandwich and Vietnamese iced coffee were being prepared within minutes. In the end, we visited the pharmacy, stacked with medicines, each order vetted by a doctor before dispatch.
Every time an order came in, a siren rang out and packers sprang into action. Just when I thought my dark store tour was over, I was handed a scanning device and told to pack an order. Curious to get a first-hand experience, I left my bag with the security and got to work. My first order was butter chicken from Zepto Café. I scanned the bag and placed it in the designated pigeon hole—BLU 3, colour-coded in blue. Scanning was the key at every step.
I got to deal with another order immediately after. I picked up the assigned bag (they have a wide range) and scanned it. Then I began packing the items—unsweetened cocoa powder was the first, mentioned with the isle and section number (I needed help finding it), followed by dark chocolate (at the other end), unsalted butter and eggs. I had to run all over the dark store, looking for and packing these items.
After we placed the final order bag, I asked the packer who was running with me, “How many steps do you get in a day?” She just laughed, but I assume more than 20,000 daily.
I packed two more orders before they took the device offline to stop the flow. It was a mad rush. As a user, I left with newfound respect for quick commerce. Nothing could have offered deeper insights into this industry than this hands-on experience. It’s not just speed—it’s science, precision and relentless coordination.
First Published: Oct 10, 2025, 17:39
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