The Power of Few
How Just 18% of Brands Drive 80% of Blinkit's Sales
Only 17.7% of Blinkit's brands generate 80% of the platform's revenue. Success isn't about offering the most extensive assortment — it's about identifying where demand naturally concentrates.
The Bottom Line
Despite offering a massive catalog of over 2,700 brands, Blinkit's business is heavily concentrated. Just 18% of brands account for a staggering 80% of total sales. This sharp concentration highlights a crucial reality: while customers are presented with endless choices, their spending habits remain sharply focused on a select few trusted names. Customer loyalty and trust in a few dominant brands drive the majority of sales. While expanding catalog depth can improve perceived choice, it is the strength and recall of core brands that actually fuel revenue. For emerging brands and Blinkit itself, this pattern underlines the strategic importance of high-velocity SKUs, brand equity, and focused marketing investments.
What Concentration Signals
- Trust-Driven Purchasing: In high-stakes categories, consumers default to brands they trust—efficacy and safety trump discovery
- Repeat Purchase Lock-In: Once consumers find working products, switching costs are high—quick commerce accelerates this lock-in
- Brand Equity = Revenue: Core brand strength and recall fuel revenue more than catalog depth
- High-Velocity SKUs Win: A small number of proven products drive disproportionate sales
Strategic Implications
- For Emerging Brands: Breaking into top 18% requires sharp positioning, hero SKU focus, and significant marketing investment
- For Dominant Brands: Defend core SKUs while innovating—don't dilute velocity across too many variants
- For Blinkit: Balance curation with discovery—surface high-velocity products while giving visibility to quality challengers
- Category Variation: Concentration varies wildly—Chocolates (8.9%) vs Bread (48.9%) require different strategies
Pareto Principle in Action
2,777 brands listed on Blinkit's platform across all categories.
491 brands (17.7%) generate 80% of total platform revenue.
2,286 brands (82.3%) compete for remaining 20% of sales.
The implication: Catalog depth creates perceived choice, but concentrated brand trust drives actual purchasing behavior.
Category Analysis
Highest Concentration: Chocolates — only 5 brands drive 80% of category sales.
High Concentration: Jewellery (6), Audio (7), Bags/Fragrance/Deodorant (13 each) — brand trust critical.
Medium Spread: Dry Fruits (17), Gift & Kits (19), Appliances (16) — some competition.
Most Distributed: Oil (28), Bread & Pav (23) — more brands contribute meaningfully.
Total: 2,775 brands listed → Only 491 brands (18%) account for 80% of all sales.
Concentration Analysis
Highest Concentration: Chocolates — just 8.9% of brands drive 80% of sales.
High Concentration: Appliances (17.2%), Deodorants (17.8%), Fashion (18.4%) — brand trust critical.
Medium Concentration: Gift & Kits (26.4%), Dry Fruits (27%), Oils (30.1%) — some diversity.
Lowest Concentration: Bread & Pav (48.9%) — nearly half of brands contribute meaningfully.
Lower % = Higher concentration — fewer brands dominate, harder for new entrants.
Category Concentration Map
Category Concentration measures the minimum percentage of brands required to achieve 80% of a category's sales. Lower percentages indicate higher concentration — meaning fewer brands dominate and new entrants face steeper barriers. Higher percentages indicate more distributed sales — easier market entry but more fragmented competition.
🍫 Chocolates
🔌 Appliances
🧴 Deodorants
👜 Fashion Accessories
🎁 Gift & Kits
🥜 Dry Fruits
🫒 Oils
🍞 Bread & Pav
As quick commerce evolves, the winners will be those who master precision, not abundance.
Strategic Implications
Understanding concentration patterns across Blinkit's ecosystem
For Dominant Brands
- Defend hero SKUs — they drive disproportionate revenue
- Avoid portfolio fragmentation — velocity concentration wins
- Leverage quick commerce for replenishment — build habit loops
- Use data to identify SKU rationalization opportunities
For Emerging Brands
- Focus on ONE hero SKU before expanding portfolio
- Target categories with lower concentration (Bread, Oils) for easier entry
- Avoid high-concentration categories (Chocolates) without significant differentiation
- Invest in trial-driving mechanisms: sampling, influencers, promotions
For Quick Commerce Platforms
- Balance curation with discovery — don't over-index on top brands
- Create "discovery zones" for quality challengers
- Use concentration data to optimize inventory and dark store allocation
- Category-specific strategies: different rules for Chocolates vs Bread