Zepto's claim of No. 2 grocery-app spot, surpassing JioMart on monthly active customers, resurfaces from December 2023

Resurfacing a December 2023 report: Zepto said its November daily active users rose 8% and monthly active users grew 10% month on month, placing it second among grocery apps. The quick-commerce player operated 200 dark stores across seven cities and was planning further Zepto Café expansion.

By ·Devil's-advocate pass

— Source publishedWed, 6 Dec, 2023, 20:33 IST·First seen Mon, 28 Sept, 2026, 07:59 IST·Source Business Standard (via Wayback)

The development

Zepto secured second position among grocery apps in November after its DAU rose 8 per cent and MAU rose 10 per cent month-on-month. It operates 200 dark stores across seven cities and plans Zepto Café expansion by June 2024.

The numbers

  • second
  • November
  • 8 per cent
  • 10 per cent
  • 21 per cent
  • 17 per cent
  • October 23
  • no. 1
  • June 2023
  • $200 million
  • 2023
  • $1.4 billion
  • $1 billion
  • 300,000
  • 400,000
  • Rs 400
  • Rs 500
  • 200
  • seven
  • June 2024
  • 20 million
  • 13 million
  • over 6 million
  • sub-5 million
  • over 11 million
  • 12 per cent
  • 1.3 million
  • 3 per cent
  • 2 per cent

Why it matters to operators and investors

Zepto’s momentum makes it a more strategic partner or acquisition target for players seeking rapid urban grocery reach, with dark-store expansion and café adjacencies increasing both its value and integration complexity.

What to watch next

  • Monthly active-user growth relative to Blinkit, Instamart and JioMart for the next two to three months.
  • Dark-store count, city additions and evidence of order-density improvement per store.
  • Zepto Café availability, repeat purchase rates and impact on average order value.
  • Discount intensity, delivery-fee changes and competitive responses from Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart.
  • Fundraising, reported cash burn, contribution-margin disclosures and regulatory scrutiny of dark-store operations.
  • Add dark stores and deepen coverage in existing seven cities before entering selected new metros.
  • Expand Zepto Café to lift order frequency, basket value and contribution from existing delivery fleets.
  • Target JioMart users with localized assortment, value packs and app-acquisition offers.
  • Pursue additional financing and strengthen supply-chain partnerships to fund store rollout.

The counter-case

Zepto’s claimed No. 2 position rests on monthly active users, not necessarily order volume, gross merchandise value, contribution margin, or sustainable customer retention. A 10% monthly MAU increase from a smaller base can be driven by promotions, free-delivery offers, or expansion into new catchments, while rapid dark-store and café rollout may deepen cash burn. Surpassing JioMart in app activity also does not establish leadership in the broader grocery market, where Jio’s offline, WhatsApp, and ecosystem channels may not be fully reflected in comparable app metrics.