The commerce landscape has changed drastically in the past few years. The Indian e-commerce market is projected to reach USD 120–140 billion by 2025 and with so many options available to commerce merchants, the ways to reach customers have diversified yet become even more confusing.
In one of our collaborative events, The Commerce Conclave, we spoke to over 20 merchants on Quick Commerce vs. D2C vs. Marketplaces and which one works the best for them.
Quick Commerce (QC), Direct-to-Consumer (D2C), and Marketplaces each serve different purposes, and choosing the right channel depends on your category, business goals, and customer expectations.
Very often, merchants ask us which model would work best for them. The truth is, it’s about how each fits into your larger commerce strategy.
Quick Commerce: When Speed Wins
The Quick Commerce market in India is forecasted to generate a revenue of US$5,384.00m in 2025. Quick Commerce is all about instant gratification. If your product satisfies the urgency of need within your customers; think snacks, personal care, or essentials, then QC can be a game-changer for your business.
Take Kindly Health, a brand specializing in sexual wellness and intimate healthcare. Speed is crucial in their category, and Quick Commerce helps bridge the gap between need and availability. Similarly, Epigamia, Yoga Bar, and Snackible thrive in QC because customers don’t plan their yogurt or snack purchases weeks in advance. They grab them when they want them. QC ensures instant access and high turnover for such merchants. The user penetration rate, which currently stands at 2.7% in 2025, is projected to rise to 4.0% by 2029.
However, QuickCommerce isn’t for everyone. To name a few, Orient Electric, Panasonic, and GKB Opticals faced logistical hurdles when trying to optimize QC for larger appliances. Large-ticket items require customer education, post-sales service, and a longer purchase cycle, making QC a less viable option.
D2C: Owning the Brand Experience
Currently, India is home to 800 or more direct-to-consumer brands with an estimated market size of over 80 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. For merchants focused on building long-term customer relationships, D2C is non-negotiable. Unlike Quick Commerce or Marketplaces, D2C gives merchants complete control over customer data, experience, and positioning.
Guardian Group, for instance, started with marketplaces to gain reach but pivoted to D2C to own their brand experience. Today, their ecosystem thrives because they control customer interactions from discovery to purchase. Similarly, merchants like Panasonic and Orient Electric have seen significant YoY growth in their D2C business by offering engaging features that drive purchase confidence by utilizing AR and VR in their stores. The Indian D2C market value is projected to surpass the mark of USD60 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 40 percent.
A key advantage of D2C is consistency. Whether a customer interacts with a store or offline, the experience remains seamless. GKB Opticals and Lenskart reduced try-on time and improved customer engagement through virtual tools, something that would be impossible on a QC platform. Personalization and post-sales service also make D2C a go-to choice for merchants selling high-value products.
That said, D2C comes with its own challenges. Customer acquisition costs can be high, and supply chain efficiency is crucial.
Marketplaces: Reach, But at a Cost
Marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, and Nykaa are often the first step for brands looking to scale. 30% of Amazon SMB sellers have earned over $50,000 in lifetime profits, with 10% making between $100,000 and $500,000. They provide reach, trust, and built-in traffic. But there’s a trade-off. Merchants don’t own customer data, and margins are lower due to revenue sharing. There are over 9.7 million sellers globally on Amazon with 1.9 million selling actively as of 2024.
For Guardian Group, product size mattered. Their smaller shampoo bottles performed significantly better on marketplaces than their larger counterparts, proving that pricing and packaging play a huge role in marketplace success.
Marketplaces also allow for paid promotions, but as many merchants pointed out, they don’t offer the deep brand-building experience that D2C does. Once a customer lands on a marketplace, they’re exposed to competing products, making loyalty harder to maintain.
So, Which One is Right for You?
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If speed is key, Quick Commerce can boost impulse purchases.
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If customer experience matters, D2C ensures full control and personalization.
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If you need reach, Marketplaces provide access but with trade-offs.
The key takeaway? These channels aren’t competitors; they complement each other. Understanding when to leverage each model is what separates good commerce strategies from great ones.
For merchants just starting out, building a strong D2C presence first can create the foundation for future expansion into marketplaces or QC. Established brands, on the other hand, must decide where to focus based on logistics, margins, and customer engagement.
Commerce isn’t one-size-fits-all.
The best approach is one that aligns with your category, audience, and long-term vision.