For as long as she can remember, Anu loved ice cream — but buying it was always a hassle. A sudden craving meant either stepping out late at night or settling for whatever was left in the fridge.
For the last few years, with quick commerce, Anu can now get her favorite Belgian chocolate or mango kulfi delivered within minutes.
Consumers naturally prefer the most convenient and accessible option, driving a shift toward quick commerce, said Varun Sheth, Co-founder, NOTO Ice Creams & Desserts.
“With quick commerce, ice cream category has gone from about ₹35- 40 crore per month last year in the summer season, to almost ₹100-150 crore per month per channel this season,” said Kiran Shah, Founder, Go Zero, an ice cream start-up.
New brands are jumping on the quick commerce trend, recognising that the ice cream industry no longer has to be slow-growing or capital-heavy in this new era. Investors have taken note of this shift, leading to a surge in funding for emerging ice cream brands like Go Zero, NOTO, Get-A-Way and others in recent years.
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Growth impact
Ice cream start-ups have seen significant growth in the past few years, largely fuelled by its adoption of quick commerce platforms.
Go Zero plans to scoop up a large chunk of health-conscious customers with its high-protein, low-calorie, sugar-free, and plant-based ice cream options. The start-up’s FY24 net revenue stood at ₹11.1 crore, and is projected to close FY25 at ₹40 crore.
“Next year, we are probably hoping to cross the ₹100 crore mark,” said Kiran .
“Much of this growth has been driven by quick commerce platforms which now account for 80-85 per cent of Go Zero’s total revenue,” he added.
Similary, for Get-A-Whey, quick commerce contributes 70-75 per cent of its total revenue, said Jash Shah, Founder, Get-A-Whey.
“Usually, ice cream is a very seasonal business. But because of quick commerce, we’re not seeing that. It has brought in a lot of scale. We have grown 100 per cent year-on-year,” said Shah of Get-A-Whey.
The company has doubled its y-o-y growth and expects to reach a monthly run rate (MRR) of ₹7-8 crore during peak summer months in 2024.
In the long term, Get-A-Whey aims to maintain a balanced revenue mix between quick commerce and direct sales while continuing its strong growth trajectory.
Quick commerce has dramatically simplified logistics and distribution for start-ups, eliminating multiple layers in the traditional retail supply chain. Previously, expanding into modern retail required appointing distributors, super stockists, and retailers, making it difficult for a young ice cream brand to compete.
Impulse driven category
“It was a supply chain nightmare for an early-stage ice cream brand. Quick commerce has levelled the playing field for new players like us,” said Shah.
By leveraging quick commerce, start-ups has scaled its SKU offerings, increased its market presence, and expanded to more dark stores across multiple cities, ensuring wider reach with lower operational costs and faster fulfilment.
“Quick commerce platforms are transforming distribution by enabling faster delivery. It is particularly working for the ice cream segment because it is an impulse driven category unlike other FMCG products which are more need based. Our investment in Noto, a popular low-calorie ice cream brand, aligns with evolving consumer preferences and the rising need for healthy consumption without sacrificing on taste,” said Sahil Chopra, VP, Growth & Marketing, Inflection Point Ventures.