Swiggy Shuts Down Premium Grocery Unit Handpicked Swiggy reportedly confirmed the development and also revealed that no jobs have been impacted so far from the move
By Teena Jose
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
You're reading BIZ Experiences India, an international franchise of BIZ Experiences Media.
Foodtech and grocery delivery major Swiggy has closed down Handpicked, its premium grocery delivery service, just six months after rolling out a pilot for users in Bengaluru. Swiggy reportedly confirmed the development and also revealed that no jobs have been impacted so far from the move.
A company spokesperson was quoted in a news report as saying that, "At Swiggy we're continuously experimenting with new propositions in line with our vision to enable unparalleled convenience to consumers. Handpicked was being piloted in a few zones in Bengaluru and we have had several positive learnings from it."
As per previous media reports, a few days ago the company had started charging INR 2 as platform fee on food orders being delivered in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. This charge is being levied only on the food orders and not on orders made on Swiggy's quick commerce vertical, Instamart. Regarding this development the company had said in a statement that, "Charging the fees help us to operate and improve our platform and enhance app features to deliver a seamless app experience."
Handpicked was Swiggy's attempt at delivering only premium grocery items, such as rarely available soft drinks. The company will continue to sell some of the products previously available on Handpicked but through Instamart, its quick commerce division, and Insanely Good, where Swiggy delivers fresh fruits, and vegetables, among others, by 7 am, if ordered the previous night.
Earlier, the company had also shut down its meat marketplace vertical in January and also laid off 380 employees as part of a company-wide restructuring activity.
Moreover, the company recently debuted an e-commerce vertical Maxx, which includes categories such as home, stationary, and pet care, among others. Swiggy had earlier renamed and repurposed its essential delivery service Supr Daily to Insanely Good. Also, the reports reveal that the company is also preparing for a public listing by September this year.
