How we helped a leading investment firm evaluate a quick commerce deal 

Executive Summary

A prominent investment firm hired Redseer to conduct a commercial due diligence on an emerging premium quick commerce platform. This was during a time when the quick commerce market was focusing on speed and price. Meanwhile, a thin niche market was starting to develop around quality, curation, and sustainable packaging. The investor needed a clear understanding of whether the platform’s premium offering was truly different and appealing. They wanted to know who the actual users were and where the economic strengths and risks of the model lay.

We based our analysis on a primary consumer study conducted in one major metro area. This study included in-depth interviews with a full range of users, including frequent users, occasional users, and those who had stopped using the platform. We evaluated the platform in terms of awareness and trial, multi-platform behavior, basket economics, and user advocacy. The result was a comprehensive consumer analysis: it identified the platform’s different user groups, what fosters loyalty, why its average order value is consistently higher than that of mainstream competitors, and the gaps in value, speed, and product variety that limit its usage frequency.

About the Client 

A leading investment firm with major investments across consumer and b2b enterprises assessing an opportunity in the quick commerce sector.

The Problem Statement 

The quick commerce market was solidifying around two main factors: speed and price. At the same time, a premium niche model was emerging, focusing on quality, curation, and sustainability. While the premium player showed some visibility in growth, the underlying consumer insights were unclear. They needed to understand who was actually using the service, why users kept engaging with it, and whether the offering could encourage more frequent use rather than just serve as a backup option.   

The investor required an evidence-based analysis to answer five critical questions:   

1. Who are the real users of the platform, and what specific groups does it attract?

2. What drives awareness, trial, and initial adoption?   

3. How much usage overlaps with mainstream quick commerce platforms, and why do users engage with multiple options?

4. Why is the platform’s average order value consistently higher than competitors’?   

5. What fosters loyalty and advocacy, and what causes users to stop using the platform?   

The Approach 

We centered our work on a primary consumer study conducted in one major metro area. This study involved detailed interviews across the user base and was controlled for user type, income, and micro-market, covering frequent, occasional, and lapsed users effectively. We structured the analysis across three main areas.   

1. Cohorts and demand – We divided the user base into distinct groups based on needs, income, basket size, and shopping behavior. This distinction helped separate the platform’s core premium users from occasional, mission-driven shoppers.   

2. Discovery and differentiation – We examined what drives awareness and first use, from word-of-mouth to app discovery. We identified the traits that encourage trial and repeat use, including freshness, packaging quality, niche products, and nutritional transparency.   

3. Economics and competitive overlap – We analyzed multi-platform behavior in relation to mainstream quick commerce competitors. We broke down why the platform had a higher average order value and identified gaps in value, speed, and product variety that led to multi-homing and user drop-off.   

The Outcomes 

The engagement produced a decision-grade consumer analysis, organized into four key outputs.   

1. The user map – Two distinct groups emerged within the same platform: a premium, quality-focused core that spent significantly and bought across multiple categories, and a value-sensitive occasional group that limited their purchases to specific categories.  

2. The differentiation engine – We identified the features that truly distinguish the platform and build loyalty: visible freshness, high-quality produce, sustainable and reusable packaging, a strong selection of niche health brands, and nutritional clarity.  

3. The average order value (AOV) story – We clearly established why the platform’s basket values were consistently higher than those of mainstream competitors.  

4. The gaps and risk analysis – We outlined the limitations that restrict usage frequency and contribute to multi-homing. This analysis highlighted the main risks and potential strategies related to the investment thesis.