Beyond the Power of Few
How D2C Brands Are Carving Out Niches in Blinkit's Top Performers
D2C brands win where packaging, storytelling, and discovery matter. Traditional brands win where familiarity, price, and consistency dominate consumer choice.
The Bottom Line
Over a third of Blinkit's top-performing brands are D2C — signaling a quiet but potent disruption in the platform's marketplace. While traditional FMCG giants still dominate overall revenue, D2C brands have strategically carved out niches in premium and experience-led categories like Jewellery, Dry Fruits, Bags, and Bath & Beauty Gifts (30-50% D2C share). However, in daily staples like Oils, Chocolates, and Deodorants, D2C penetration remains below 20%, highlighting the enduring strength of legacy players where brand familiarity and trust drive purchasing decisions. The future of Blinkit is built on giants but painted by challengers.
Where D2C Wins
- Premium & Gifting: Jewellery, Dry Fruits, Bags, Bath & Beauty Gifts — D2C captures 30-50% in categories where packaging and discovery matter
- Experience-Led Purchases: Categories with high emotional value and aesthetic appeal favor digital-first brands
- Niche Positioning: D2C brands succeed with focused hero SKUs and sharp brand narratives
- Emerging Categories: Fragrance, Fashion Accessories, Bread & Pav (20-30%) show growing D2C traction
Where Traditional Holds
- Daily Staples: Oils (~15% D2C), Chocolates (~12% D2C), Deodorants (~18% D2C) — familiarity and price dominate
- Entrenched Distribution: Legacy players have decades of retail presence and brand recall
- Price Sensitivity: In commodity categories, D2C premium positioning struggles against established value propositions
- Repeat Purchase Inertia: Once consumers find "what works," switching costs are high in functional categories
Composition Analysis
491 brands drive 80% of Blinkit's total revenue (from "Power of Few" analysis).
~172 brands (35%) of these top performers are D2C — digital-first brands disrupting categories.
~319 brands (65%) are traditional FMCG players with established distribution.
The implication: D2C is not just a fringe phenomenon — over a third of Blinkit's revenue drivers are digital-native brands.
Category Breakdown
D2C Dominates: Jewellery (~50%), Dry Fruits (~45%), Bags (~40%) — premium, discovery-led categories.
Emerging D2C: Fragrance (~28%), Fashion Accessories (~25%), Bread & Pav (~22%) — growing D2C presence.
Traditional Holds: Deodorants (~18%), Oils (~15%), Chocolates (~12%) — D2C struggles in staples.
White Space: Chocolates represent untapped D2C opportunity — packaging innovation and personalization could disrupt.
Stacked Analysis
High D2C (30-50%): Jewellery, Dry Fruits, Bags, Bath & Beauty Gifts, Gift & Kits
Medium D2C (20-30%): Fragrance, Fashion Accessories, Bread & Pav
Low D2C (<20%): Deodorant & Talc, Oil, Chocolates
Pattern: D2C wins in aesthetic, premium, and gift-oriented categories. Traditional wins in daily utility staples.
D2C Penetration Map
D2C Penetration measures the share of D2C brands among top performers (brands driving 80% of sales) in each category. Higher percentages indicate categories where D2C brands thrive — typically premium, experience-led segments. Lower percentages indicate traditional brand dominance — typically staple, utility-driven categories.
💎 Jewellery
🥜 Dry Fruits
👜 Bags
🛁 Bath & Beauty Gifts
🌸 Fragrance
👔 Fashion Accessories
🫒 Oil
🍫 Chocolates
The future of Blinkit's assortment is built on giants but painted by challengers.
Strategic Playbooks
What this means for different players in Blinkit's ecosystem
For Quick Commerce Platforms
- Capitalize on duality — curate D2C in premium; optimize traditional in staples
- Create "discovery zones" for high-potential D2C brands in emerging categories
- Use D2C penetration data to guide assortment and dark store planning
- Balance curation (D2C strength) with reliability (traditional strength)
For Traditional FMCG Brands
- Rethink innovation pipelines — D2C agility is winning in high-margin categories
- Defend core staples with velocity, price, and distribution depth
- Consider D2C-style sub-brands for premium segments
- Leverage quick commerce for replenishment — build habit loops
For D2C Brands
- Double down on high-D2C categories — packaging and storytelling win
- Resist overextension into low-D2C-fit staples without clear differentiation
- Focus on hero SKUs — velocity concentration beats portfolio sprawl
- White space in Chocolates — personalization and gifting could disrupt