Bengaluru Never Fails to Surprise Me
Today I accidentally got a glimpse of the other side of quick commerce.
I ordered a roll of sellotape. My cart was below the minimum order value, so I added a KitKat to cross the limit.
A few minutes later, the order got split into two deliveries.
Then the delivery partner carrying just the KitKat called me.
He said, “Bhaiya, is ek chocolate ke liye mujhe lagbhag 4 km aana padega. Agar main ye deliver karne aaunga, to shayad ek accha order miss ho jayega. Main aapko ₹20 UPI kar deta hoon. Aap please order receive mat kijiye.”
I was surprised, but agreed. Within seconds, he transferred ₹20 to my UPI.
Out of curiosity, I asked why.
He explained that the morning hours are when they get the best long-distance orders, which pay better. Spending that time delivering a single ₹20 chocolate just didn’t make sense economically.
That one phone call said more about the economics of gig work than any report could.
Sometimes the smallest interactions reveal how these systems actually work behind the scenes.