Zepto Becomes World’s Second Most Downloaded Food & Drink App

Zepto, the Indian quick commerce startup, has emerged as the second most downloaded app globally in the food and drinks category, according to a recent report by Sensor Tower. The rankings place Zepto ahead of global giants like KFC and Domino’s, with McDonald’s securing the top spot. This achievement highlights the rapid growth of India’s quick commerce sector, with Blinkit, Zomato, and Swiggy also making it to the top 10. Zepto’s success is attributed to its 300% growth in the second half of 2024, fueled by innovations such as the “buy now, pay later” feature.

Key Highlights

Zepto’s Global Success

• Zepto ranked #2 among the world’s most downloaded food and drink apps in 2024.
• McDonald’s topped the list, while other global brands like KFC, Domino’s, and Burger King followed.
• Zepto’s competitor Blinkit secured the 10th position.
• Other Indian apps in the category
• Zomato (#5)
• Swiggy (#9)

Growth of Quick Commerce in India

• Zepto witnessed a 300% increase in downloads in the second half of 2024 compared to the first half.
• The company introduced the “Buy Now, Pay Later” feature, boosting customer engagement.
• Zepto’s monthly active users surpassed Blinkit for the first time in Q4 2024.
• Sensor Tower reported a 43% growth in downloads of food and drink apps in India, totaling 353 million downloads in 2024.

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Investment and Expansion

• Zepto raised $350 million in November 2024, following a $340 million funding round in August.
• The company’s total funding now stands at $1.95 billion.
• Zepto is expanding its services and has launched:
• Instant returns and exchange feature for select products.
• A women-only dark store in Chennai.
• Plans to increase IPO size to $800M–$1B with a sales target of $5.5B by FY26.

Indian Apps Dominating Global Rankings

• Retail: Meesho ranked #3 globally in retail app downloads and Flipkart secured the #6 position.
• Video Streaming: JioCinema was #2 after Netflix, thanks to its cricket broadcasting rights.
• Finance Apps: PhonePe retained its #1 rank globally in financial services app downloads and Paytm and Bajaj Finserv were also in the top 10.
• Travel: Rapido made it to the top 10 in global travel app downloads.
• Sports: Dream11 was the world’s most downloaded sports app in 2024.
• Cryptocurrency: India ranked #8 in global cryptocurrency app sessions, with 26% growth in 2024 and Germany led with a 91% growth rate.