Quick commerce job growth outpaces ecommerce, modern trade

The growth of quick commerce has led to the creation of many new jobs, especially in last-mile delivery and operational roles. A report by TeamLease estimates that the sector will employ up to 5.5 lakh people by next year.

Currently, there are 2.5 to three lakh outdoor delivery workers and 70,000 to 75,000 employees working in dark stores and warehouses.

Employment generation


A report by Kearney breaks down employment into two categories: direct and indirect.

Direct jobs include essential day-to-day roles such as warehouse and fulfilment centre staff, delivery workers, and employees in stores and dark stores.

Last-mile delivery is the most labour-intensive part of quick commerce, with over 46 workers employed per Rs 1 crore of monthly gross merchandise value (GMV), making it the most demanding in terms of workforce among retail types.

Indirect jobs cover roles in corporate offices, IT, and packaging companies that support the quick commerce sector. While important, these roles are smaller in number compared to operational positions.

Qcomm vs other retail channels

When comparing workforce:

• General trade (kirana stores, local grocery stores) leads with 63 to 66 jobs per Rs 1 crore of monthly GMV
• Quick commerce is close behind with 62 to 64 jobs
• Modern trade (supermarkets, hypermarkets) follows with 41 to 42 jobs
• Ecommerce comes last with 25 to 29 jobs.

In quick commerce, last-mile delivery alone accounts for 46 out of 62 jobs, a sharp contrast to ecommerce, which employs only 13 to 15 in this area. In modern trade, these roles are minimal.

Future job growth in qcomm

The report claims that quick commerce mainly draws demand from other retail formats: about 92–93% of its sales come from modern trade, general trade, and ecommerce. However, 6–8% of its sales are new, which helps stimulate additional consumer demand and generate new jobs.

By 2025, the sector is expected to see a 60% rise in gig worker hiring, fuelled by the rising need for faster deliveries.

This expansion is expected to create 15 to 18 new jobs per Rs 1 crore of monthly GMV, with about five jobs coming purely from increased demand. These roles will mainly be in last-mile delivery, warehouse management, and operations — the areas where job growth is most closely linked to order volume.