From e-commerce to q-commerce: The rise of the 30 minutes or less delivery

All over the world, the pandemic has reshaped entire industries, leading a convenience-led revolution. This has led to new technologies being created, and ways of doing business. One of the key improvements that talabat has brought to the MENA region is the introduction of q-commerce, or quick commerce, the next phase of e-commerce, through their 24/7, thirty minutes or less q-commerce concept, talabat Mart. Wassim Makarem, VP of Q-Commerce explains:

Wassim Makarem, VP of Q-Commerce at talabat, says the company has 20 talabat marts across the UAE, operating in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman, and 52 across the region. IShow more

In the late 20th century, and early 21st, traditional e-commerce revolutionised the delivery landscape through online ordering. As we are all familiar with, as consumers, we can order our goods online, and have them delivered in many cases within a week, and in some cases, overnight delivery.

E-Commerce is famous for using delivery trucks and mega warehouses to host a wide selection of the products, so that they can offer the convenience of home-delivery to consumers.

However, here at talabat, we understood consumers wanted to be able to order grocery items faster, i.e. in 30 minutes or less. Therefore, we launched talabat mart, our q-commerce solution, within our app in the UAE in March last year, just before the pandemic, after a successful launch in Kuwait in 2019.

We now have 20 talabat marts across the UAE, operating in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman, and 52 across the region.

In essence, q-commerce allows our riders to deliver goods to customers almost instantly, by working between a network of small centralised hubs that are strategically placed in different areas of cities where we operate. Through creating the value of speed, and at the same price point as a more traditional option, customers are understanding that it is the smart choice.

When you look more into the smart choice element - the fact that talabat helped to ensure people stayed safe and home during the pandemic, and as life is returning to a higher sense of normality here in the UAE, with more and more citizens and residents enjoying the benefits of vaccination from COVID-19, it has had a lasting impact, you can see why consumers now expect speed and effortless ordering.

Our data shows that in these areas, we are delivering. Over 60% of our deliveries with talabat mart are below 20 minutes - well below our 30 minute aim, with the quickest delivery time of 7 minutes! If we think how long it takes to go down to leave home, go down the lift, get the kids in the car, and out of the parking building - that’s already 20 minutes! It’s easy to see how this convenience adds time back to many people’s lives!

We also have a lot of other interesting data points! Since the start of the pandemic we have sold in excess of 70,000kgs of oranges, as people look toward more immunity boosting ingredients, and in Q3 of 2020 we have also sold over 50,000 boxes of nappies - definitely something that many parents might need in 30 mins or less! Groceries are just the beginning at talabat mart - we are exploring expanding our q-commerce offering to electronic gadgets, sports equipment, beauty products and much more in the near future.

To make all of this happen, we are relying on our innovative platform, the strong fleet we have built over the years and the massive local investments in technology we made to be the fastest and the most reliable option in the market.

Apart from the dedicated delivery-only hubs, to enable non-grocery offerings traditional stores will be added to the mix. What is great about Q-commerce is that it enables local SMEs to ship directly from their stores without the need to ship their products to central warehouses. A rider will show up, pick up a product from the local SME and deliver it directly to customers - presenting a win-win scenario for both local SMEs and nearby customers.

Hopefully I've convinced you to be part of the next generation of q-commerce users. If so, open your talabat app, and experience talabat Mart in the groceries section, today!