Quick Commerce Guide 2026

Sell on Zepto India 2026 — Complete Brand Onboarding Guide

Zepto is India's fastest-growing quick commerce platform — 10-minute delivery, 300+ dark stores, 6M+ monthly orders. Here's everything your brand needs to get listed, grow, and advertise on Zepto.

10 min
Avg. Delivery Time
6M+
Monthly Orders
70%
Repeat Purchase Rate
300+
Dark Stores

What is Zepto?

Zepto is India's fastest quick commerce platform, delivering groceries, FMCG, personal care, and household essentials in under 10 minutes. Founded in 2021 by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, Zepto is SoftBank-backed and has rapidly scaled to 300+ dark stores across 10+ major Indian cities.

Unlike traditional marketplaces (Amazon, Flipkart), Zepto is not an open marketplace. It operates on an inventory model — Zepto buys products from brands at wholesale prices and resells at MRP. This means brand onboarding is selective, curated, and requires direct B2B negotiation.

Zepto's core audience is Gen Z and millennial consumers in metro India — premium buyers with high repeat purchase frequency. For FMCG, personal care, dairy, beverage, and household brands, Zepto represents a high-velocity, digitally-native distribution channel that is growing faster than traditional retail.

Why List Your Brand on Zepto?

Six compelling reasons why FMCG, D2C, and consumer brands are prioritising Zepto as a growth channel in 2026.

Premium Gen Z & Millennial Buyers

Zepto's user base skews younger and more affluent — ideal for premium FMCG, D2C, and lifestyle brands targeting 18–35 year olds in metro India.

10-Minute Delivery Brand Association

Being available on Zepto builds strong top-of-mind awareness. When consumers associate your brand with instant availability, it drives repeat purchase behavior.

300+ Dark Stores and Expanding

Zepto's aggressive dark store expansion means your products reach deep into metro neighbourhoods. Each new dark store is a new distribution point without traditional retail overhead.

Zepto Cafe In-App Opportunity

Zepto Cafe opens an additional demand channel for food and beverage brands. Products available in both grocery and cafe contexts get higher visibility and volume.

70% Repeat Purchase Rate

Zepto's high repeat purchase rate (70%) means customers who buy your brand once tend to reorder. This creates a sustainable, predictable demand stream for your inventory planning.

Lower Ad Competition Than Amazon

Since Zepto's catalog is curated (not open to all), Zepto Ads have far fewer competing advertisers, delivering better ROAS for brands that invest in sponsored placements.

How to Partner with Zepto — B2B Onboarding Process

Zepto onboarding is a 7-step B2B process — not an open seller registration. Here's exactly how it works.

1

Reach Out via zeptonow.com/brands or Through an Agency

Unlike Amazon or Flipkart, Zepto does not have an open seller portal. You must initiate contact through the official brand partnership page or through a certified agency partner like Scalo Digital who has direct category manager relationships.

2

Submit Brand Profile and Product Catalog

Prepare a detailed brand profile including brand story, product range, MRP, cost price, current distribution footprint, and monthly volume. A well-prepared brand deck significantly increases your chances of shortlisting.

3

Category Manager Evaluation

Zepto's category managers review your brand for fit — assessing demand potential, competitive landscape in their catalog, pricing, and strategic value. This stage can take 1–3 weeks depending on the category team's bandwidth.

4

Margin and Pricing Agreement

Once shortlisted, you negotiate buying price, MRP, and promotional margins. Zepto typically buys at 25–35% below MRP. Both parties sign a vendor agreement covering payment terms, return policy, and replenishment SLAs.

5

Quality and Compliance Verification

Submit all required regulatory documents including GST certificate, FSSAI license (mandatory for food/personal care), brand license, EAN barcodes, and any required test reports or certifications for your product category.

6

Dark Store Inventory Setup

After compliance clearance, Zepto places an initial purchase order. You supply inventory to their designated distribution centers or dark stores. Products are tagged, stocked, and made live on the Zepto app within the assigned cities.

7

Zepto Ads Activation and Launch

Once live, activate Zepto Ads for sponsored product placements. Plan a launch promotion or introductory offer to drive initial trial and reviews. Monitor inventory levels closely as quick commerce demand can spike unexpectedly.

Documents Required for Zepto Brand Onboarding

  • GST Registration Certificate
  • FSSAI License (mandatory for food, beverages, and personal care)
  • Brand Trademark / Brand License Certificate
  • EAN/GTIN Barcodes for all SKUs
  • Product test reports / quality certifications
  • Company PAN Card
  • Cancelled cheque / Bank details for payment settlement
  • Product catalog with MRP, cost price, and weight/dimensions

Zepto Business Model — Inventory Purchase

Important: Zepto is NOT an open marketplace.

Zepto operates on an inventory ownership model. They purchase products from brands at 25–35% below MRP and take full ownership of inventory. This means:

Zepto buys your products at wholesale price (25–35% below MRP)
You receive payment within agreed credit terms (typically 30–45 days)
Zepto handles all consumer pricing, discounting, and promotions
Inventory risk shifts to Zepto once goods are received at dark stores
Replenishment orders are placed by Zepto's supply chain team
Brands can run Zepto Ads for sponsored visibility within the app

Best Categories to Sell on Zepto

Dairy & Fresh

Milk, curd, paneer, eggs — highest frequency

Beverages

Packaged juices, energy drinks, water, tea/coffee

Snacks & Munchies

Chips, namkeen, cookies, chocolates

Personal Care

Shampoo, body wash, skincare, oral care

Household Essentials

Detergent, cleaning, paper products

Baby & Pet

Baby food, diapers, pet food and accessories

Frequently Asked Questions — Selling on Zepto India

Zepto and Blinkit both offer 10-minute delivery, but differ in ownership and positioning. Zepto is a SoftBank-backed independent startup with aggressive dark store expansion, while Blinkit is owned by Zomato. Zepto has a stronger focus on premium Gen Z and millennial buyers in metro cities, with Zepto Cafe as an added differentiator. Both use an inventory model where the platform buys stock from brands — neither is an open marketplace. Scalo Digital can help you evaluate which platform fits your brand best.
A dark store is a small warehouse (2,000–5,000 sq ft) located within a neighbourhood, stocking fast-moving products for near-instant delivery. Unlike traditional warehouses, dark stores are closed to the public. Zepto operates 300+ such dark stores across 10+ Indian cities. When a customer orders, a picker assembles the order in minutes and a delivery partner completes the last mile in under 10 minutes. Brands supply inventory to these dark stores based on demand forecasting.
As of 2026, Zepto operates across 10+ major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh. The platform is rapidly expanding its dark store footprint in Tier 2 cities. Availability of your product categories may vary by city based on dark store capacity and demand. Scalo Digital can help assess your brand's city-wise opportunity before onboarding.
Zepto started as a grocery and FMCG platform but has expanded significantly. Today it covers dairy, beverages, snacks, personal care, household essentials, baby products, pet food, and even some electronics accessories. Zepto Cafe adds in-app food ordering. The sweet spot remains products with high purchase frequency and urgency — items people need within minutes. Premium food brands, D2C personal care, and household essentials see the strongest results on the platform.
Zepto Ads is a performance advertising platform within the Zepto app. Brands can run sponsored product listings to appear at the top of search results and category pages. Zepto Ads works on a cost-per-click model and is available post-onboarding. Since Zepto's catalog is curated (not open marketplace), ad competition is lower than Amazon, often delivering strong ROAS for FMCG and personal care categories. Scalo Digital manages Zepto Ads campaigns as part of our quick commerce advertising service.
Zepto's B2B onboarding is a structured process typically taking 3–8 weeks from initial outreach to first dark store replenishment. The timeline depends on category manager bandwidth, document completeness, margin negotiation, and compliance verification. Having all documents ready — GST, FSSAI, brand license, EAN barcodes, and test reports — significantly shortens the process. Working with an agency like Scalo Digital that has existing Zepto relationships can accelerate approval.
Zepto operates on an inventory model where they purchase products from brands at 25–35% below MRP. This is not a commission/marketplace model — Zepto takes ownership of inventory. The effective margin expectation varies by category: FMCG typically 28–33%, personal care 25–32%, beverages 30–35%. Brands must ensure their MRP and cost structure allows for this margin while maintaining profitability. Margin negotiation is part of the category manager evaluation process.
Scalo Digital provides end-to-end Zepto onboarding support — from brand profile preparation and category manager introductions to margin negotiation, compliance documentation, and Zepto Ads campaign management. We have successfully onboarded FMCG, personal care, and beverage brands on Zepto and can significantly reduce the time and friction involved. Contact us for a free consultation to assess your brand's fit for Zepto and quick commerce in general.

Ready to List Your Brand on Zepto?

Scalo Digital helps FMCG and D2C brands navigate Zepto's B2B onboarding — from brand deck preparation to category manager introductions, compliance, and Zepto Ads management.