Festive rush: Quick commerce firms to hire 35-40% more temp workers, demand surges for tech-savvy talent

New Delhi: Quick commerce platforms are likely to hire 35-40% more temporary workers this festive season compared with last, according to staffing experts, as companies line up more products for fast deliveries and consumers increasingly opt for the convenience of need-based buying and instant delivery.

Especially in high demand are tech-savvy workers, they said, to fill profiles such as warehouse management system operators, automated pick-and-pack supervisors, inventory reconciliation technicians, RFID/barcode scanner specialists and experts to manage AI systems that automate vehicle routing to worker allocation.

Also read: Quick commerce race cuts product launch cycles to weeks


Recruitment services and staffing firms expect the segment to create around 100,000 temporary jobs in the festive season that starts later this month, with some estimates pegging the requirement as high as 300,000. Wages are expected to increase 12-22% based on the location of work. Quick commerce platforms are expanding their delivery lists and coverage areas, which requires more workers to handle everything from warehouse operations to last-mile delivery, said experts.

“Last year, q-commerce accounted for roughly 16% to 18% of the overall festive flexi hiring pool. This year, it is around 30% of the total seasonal flexi workforce demand,” said Yeshab Giri, chief commercial officer, Operational Talent Solutions at Randstad India. The specialist recruitment agency services company estimates quick commerce hiring to “nearly double” this year from last year.

TeamLease Services, based on its internal analysis, estimates quick commerce to account for about 40% of the overall festive flexi workforce demand this year.

“This is a “notable increase over last year, driven by the shift in consumer buying pattern away from retail and ecommerce to buying from quick commerce platforms,” said Balasubramanian A, senior vice-president at TeamLease Services.

TeamLease projects the number of temporary jobs created by the sector to jump to about 100,000 from about 60,000 last year. Randstad is more optimistic, as it expects the segment’s hiring numbers to cross 300,000.

“Unlike previous years where hiring was concentrated in mass last-mile logistics, this year’s surge reflects a more strategic, hyper-localised deployment,” said Randstad’s Giri.

According to Randstad, quick commerce companies in India currently operate around 5,500-6,000 operational dark stores in tier-I hubs and are expanding into tier-II/III urban clusters. “Looking ahead over the next 12 to 18 months, we expect an addition of another 1,000-1,500 dark stores,” said Giri.

Emails sent by ET to Flipkart, Amazon, Eternal and Swiggy that operate quick commerce services went unanswered.

Also read: Customers will feast as Zepto to pour fuel into quick commerce fire

Digital workflows

Tech-savvy talent is in demand as companies need people to operate under rigid 10- to 15-minute delivery commitments, leaving zero margin for manual error, experts said. Dark stores are no longer just handling basic groceries. They are now stocking high-value consumer electronics, festive apparel, home appliances and premium beauty products.

According to Deepesh Gupta, director and head of business, General Staffing, at Adecco India, quick commerce is expected to account for 40-45% of the overall festive flexible workforce demand.

“There is a clear increase in employer preference for frontline temporary workers who are proficient in using digital tools and technology such as delivery apps, warehouse systems and scanners,” said Gupta.

Compared with previous festive seasons, employers are placing greater emphasis on candidates who can adapt quickly to digital workflows, Balasubramanian said.

According to Shailesh Khanna, business lead at ManpowerGroup India, current industry estimates suggest that seasonal compensation could increase by 12-15% in metro cities, while tier II and emerging cities may witness wage growth of 18-22%.