Quick commerce firms to create over 3 lakh temporary jobs this festive season, salaries likely to rise
Quick commerce firms also plan to add 1,000-1,500 new dark stores in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in the next 12-18 months, expanding beyond the current 5,500-6,000 stores in Tier-1 cities
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In anticipation of the upcoming festive season, quick commerce platforms are preparing for large-scale hiring. To fulfill the promise of delivering customer orders within 10 to 15 minutes, companies are hiring 35-40 percent more temporary (flexi) workers than last year. People are now increasingly preferring tailored delivery services over traditional retail or e-commerce, creating significant employment opportunities in this sector.
Huge demand for technology experts
The most important thing in this year's hiring is that there is a high demand for tech-savvy employees. Companies need trained people to fulfill the stringent promise of 10 to 15 minute delivery without any human error. These employees are being hired for important roles like warehouse management system operators, automated pick-and-pack supervisors, inventory reconciliation technicians, RFID and barcode scanner specialists as well as managing AI systems. These employees will play a vital role in improving the entire process from planning the routes of vehicles to distributing work.
Up to 3 lakh new jobs are expected, salaries will increase
According to the estimates of recruitment and staffing companies, 1 lakh to 3 lakh temporary jobs can be created in the quick commerce sector during the festive season starting at the end of this month. According to the data of Randstad India and TeamLease Services, the share of quick commerce in the total festive flexi hiring was 16-18 percent last year, which is expected to increase to 30 to 40 percent this year. Not only the number of jobs is increasing, but a tremendous increase of 12 to 22 percent in the salaries of the employees is also expected depending on the place of work and location.
The rapid expansion of dark stores
is no longer limited to 'last-mile delivery' in major cities; rather, this expansion has become more strategic and hyper-local. Currently, quick commerce companies operate approximately 5,500 to 6,000 dark stores in Tier-1 cities of India. Now their reach is rapidly expanding in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as well. Experts estimate that 1,000 to 1,500 new dark stores will be opened in the next 12 to 18 months to meet the increasing demand of customers and the coverage area of the delivery list.