Pin code wars: Quick commerce cos add 900 dark stores in 3 months

India's five largest quick commerce operators added nearly 900 dark stores between April and July 2026, according to Bernstein.

Blinkit added 289 stores to reach 2,511, Flipkart Minutes added 262 to reach 1,003, and Amazon Now added about 250 to reach 600-700 locations.

Zepto added 90 stores to reach 1,345, while Swiggy Instamart's network remained largely unchanged at 1,187.

Unique pin codes served rose by only 152 to 2,722, indicating most new stores opened in existing service areas.

Large cities now have about 4,300 dark stores, exceeding the estimated profitable capacity of 3,600.