Want To Launch Your Brand On Quick Commerce? An Explainer After Earning ‘Profit Of Rs 15!’ | Viral News

The cost to make one Rs 199 pack was about Rs 78. (Photo Credits: X)

A Redditor shared a brutal reality check about launching a small snack brand on quick commerce platforms. At first, everything seemed perfect as sales were climbing daily, the brand was getting noticed and visibility was high. But after six months, the financial reality hit hard and it wasn’t what it appeared to be.

The user shared the post with the title: “I watched my friend’s snack brand get destroyed by quick commerce. Here’s what nobody tells you.”

“My buddy launched his processed snacks brand on Instamart and Zepto earlier this year. Met him yesterday after 6 months, and holy sh**, the reality check was brutal,” he wrote.

The Reality Behind Numbers

During the first three months, the Redditor said, “Bro, brand visibility is insane! Sales are climbing daily. Everything looked perfect.”

But when he calculated the real costs, the situation was shocking.

“The breakdown that killed him: Platform takes ~28 per cent commission on every Rs 199 pack. Packaging costs TRIPLED (moisture protection, breakage prevention, etc.). Rs 7.5 lakhs just sitting in dark stores doing nothing. Rs 35,000/month just to stay visible on the app. Constant discounting to compete with established brands,” the user shared.

The cost to make one Rs 199 pack was about Rs 78, which left a profit of only Rs 15 per sale after all expenses. Some SKUs were actually losing around Rs 10 per sale.

“Sales were UP. Orders kept coming. But his bank balance kept going DOWN. The harsh truth he learned: For small brands, quick commerce isn’t a sales channel. It’s a marketing expense disguised as revenue. You’re not making money. You’re buying customers at an insane price,” he said.

Key Takeaways From The Experience

The Redditor shared what he wished his friend knew before launching:

• Start with ONE platform, ONE city. Test properly before scaling.
• Launch only your highest margin product (his classic salted worked, flavoured variants bled money)
• Accept it’s brand-building for 6+ months, not profit.
• Set a monthly loss limit. Hit it? Pause immediately
• Build D2C alongside – that’s where actual profit lives.
• Negotiate EVERYTHING. Inventory terms, returns, promo costs.

In the end, the user shared, “I’m posting this because these platforms make it look easy. The dashboards show beautiful graphs going up. But small brands are getting quietly destroyed. If you’re thinking of launching into quick commerce, please run every single number first. Every hidden fee. Every “small” cost. It adds up faster than you think.”

What Are People Saying Online

Many pointed out that the challenges the snack brand faced on quick commerce platforms are not entirely new. Some noted that similar situations can happen in offline retail,

One user commented, “It’s nothing different from offline channels. If you are a new brand, offline channels wouldn’t even buy you unless you give them 50%+ margins. Here, they are taking a respectable margin and providing good visibility for a new brand. I think if the product is good, then it is worth it.”

Another said, “This is the story with all these marketplaces.” A third user added, “I think it’s basically with anything that is low volume, low price.”

“All retail channels have been like this for ages. Small players pay as much as 75 per cent to get their products listed for selling in a physical store like Chroma or Radio Shack. Get paid net 45 days after sale. Or pay for a store in a store and build volume. So, q-commerce is cheaper compared,” someone else shared.

Meanwhile, a person highlighted, “This is such an eye opener, quick commerce looks like growth but can quietly drain a small brand dry. Your friend’s breakdown perfectly shows how visibility doesn’t always equal profit. Starting small, protecting margins and building D2C early are key.”

Many others shared similar experiences in the comments. After launching on such platforms, they eventually had to shut down their businesses.