With the launch of Noice by Swiggy Instamart, quick commerce platforms have expanded their private labels into perishable categories. So far, a focus on staples and packaged goods with higher shelf lives had defined the sector’s house brand approach.
Zepto is also pushing its private labels into snacks and beverages, according to sources. The company has launched ‘chyll’ for ice cubes and juices, and ‘aaha!’ for snacks, sweets, cereals and batters. “Currently, we are present in select metro cities and plan on expanding across all markets in the coming days,” said a person aware of the plans.
Swiggy is targeting a mix of traditional and ultra modern snacks, bakery items, fresh dairy, sauces and other regional specialties with over 200 stock-keeping units (SKUs) sourced from 40+ small-scale manufacturers. Noice is available in the top 6 metros and a pan-India rollout is on the cards, according to sources. The company does not intend to invest in manufacturing facilities for Noice, a senior executive has said.
Noice has achieved 3.4% of the sales of wafers and 1.9% of platform biscuits sales within just months of its launch, according to analytics firm 1digitalstack.ai, though a small share when compared with category leaders Lay’s (35.5%) and Britannia (35.5%).
Rising role of private labels in q-commerce
Private labels now contribute 6-8% of quick commerce sales, up from 1-2% two years ago, but penetration in perishables has remained limited due to supply chain complexities and quality concerns. The push into fresh categories has the potential to take the share of private labels to 10-15%, according to industry observers.
The expansion into shorter shelf-life products could also boost margins. Perishables can fetch margins of 25-45% compared to 15-25% on non-perishable private label products, according to Pradyumna Nag, founder, Prequate Advisory. “This is thanks to direct sourcing, elimination of middlemen, and ability to premiumise with freshness guarantees,” he added.
Building differentiation through perishables
Unlike non-perishable private labels that undercut larger brands on pricing, these in-house brands are able to command a pricing premium as they offer freshness, quality and variety.
Instead of chasing mass manufacturing at scale, platforms are relying on fragmented sourcing from multiple small- and mid-sized suppliers, producing in smaller batches to keep inventories lean. This minimises spoilage while ensuring faster product rotation and freshness. To support this, companies are also investing in selective cold chain capacity, experimenting with alternate packaging formats, and striking rate contracts with regional partners.
BigBasket’s private labels—BB Royal, BB Popular, BB Home, and Fresho—now account for 35% of its total revenue and are worth Rs 4,000 crore annually. The Tata Group-owned platform’s success spans multiple categories, from staples to fresh produce.
Swiggy Instamart’s Supreme Harvest–across key staples–has achieved around 20% platform penetration. Zepto has similarly scaled its staples-focused Daily Good alongside meat brand Relish, which generates Rs 40 crore in monthly sales and expects annual revenues to hit Rs 1,000 crore by March 2026.
Industry experts suggest the perishables expansion reflects broader platform maturation beyond delivery speed towards margin-accretive differentiation. “Perishables are high-frequency, low consideration time with opportunity to build trust for future SKUs,” Nag said, adding that fresh categories appear in majority of q-commerce orders. “Presence in this segment allows quick commerce players to create a lifelong bond with consumers while also cross-selling other categories,” he added.