Mar 04 2024, 07:53
How a lesser-known INR2,200 crore Zomato business is making Swiggy rethink its strategy:
Hyperpure, a vertical of Zomato supplying grocery to restaurants, is the third largest revenue stream for the company. And Swiggy cannot afford to leave this fast-growing segment to Deepinder Goyal
Swiggy might take a leaf out of Zomato's cookbook. Amid its preparations for a public listing, Swiggy could be exploring an entry into a domain where Zomato has made impressive strides a B2B supply service targeting the HORECA (hotels, restaurants, and cafes) segment.
Zomato's B2B platform Hyperpure, which supplies everything from cream, curd to condiments and cardboard food boxes to eateries, has emerged as a major growth driver for the Deepinder Goyal-led company. At INR2,221 crore, Hyperpure doubled its revenue in the first nine months of FY24, compared to a year ago, and accounted for a quarter of Zomato's total income at INR9,164 crore for the period.
At Swiggy, some preliminary internal discussions on experimenting with a B2B service for restaurants have already commenced. "The plan is in its infancy. A pilot project is being mooted," said one source. "Not even a VP level person has been engaged. Swiggy may or may not do this tomorrow," said another person close to the company.
Meanwhile, Zomato is doubling down on Hyperpure. It has announced setting up of a plant to process food supplies like sauces, spreads, and perishable products. This is likely to give Hyperpure better margins and drive higher engagement with restaurant partners.
However, the restaurants still had an advantage if they ordered from Hyperpure. They could use their credit balance with Zomato to place orders on Hyperpure. The opportunity in the food and beverages space has been substantial. But the supply procurement aspect remains highly fragmented. Restaurants often source various items from different vendors, leading to significant variations from one city to another.
According to industry experts, ingredients typically constitute 30%-35% of the total sales value of a restaurant.
Covid Impact on the Food Services Industry, a report by National Restaurants Association of India in October 2021, pointed out that the food-services industry in India experienced a significant decline of 53%, with its value estimated at USD27.1 billion, compared with the USD57.3 billion recorded in FY20.
Even as Zomato was building out Hyperpure, it began making strategic investments in online-grocery delivery firm Grofers (now Blinkit). By July 2021, Zomato would proceed to go public and eventually acquire Blinkit completely.
source: et
Mar 04 2024, 07:53