Flipkart opens its grocery fulfillment center in Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: Flipkart launched its grocery fulfillment center in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday, offering next-day grocery deliveries to local consumers.

Leveraging its local consumer insights, Flipkart will offer a curated range of popular regional brands such as Freedom and Heritage, among others, along with an expansive range of over 6,000 products from categories such as dairy, eggs, chocolates, staples, cleaning aids and more.

Visakhapatnam is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce destinations in India and a major market for online groceries. Over the years, it has seen an influx of consumers from various segments who are prioritizing convenience and value for their grocery needs. Given Flipkart’s offering of a wide assortment of value selection, it has witnessed strong growth in grocery demand and daily orders by local consumers, which has led to the launch of its second grocery fulfillment center in the state after Vijayawada.

The new fulfillment center, which is spread across 77,000 square feet, will cater to 8,000 orders per day in Visakhapatnam, along with Anakapalle, Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam, and Vizianagaram. It will generate close to 1,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities while uplifting the livelihood opportunities of numerous small businesses, MSMEs, and local farmers in the region.

Talking about the launch, Srideep Kesavan, CEO at Heritage Foods, said, “We at Heritage Foods deeply value the great partnership we have with Flipkart. With one of the widest distribution reach, Flipkart is a critical partner for our growth, especially as we expand our brand reach across the country. We constantly strive to serve our shoppers with a wide variety of products and packaging options for every occasion and delight them with the highest quality that we are known for.”

Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Flipkart Group, said, "Being a homegrown company with a consumer-first approach, we are happy to launch our second grocery fulfillment center in the state. Andhra Pradesh has been one of our key priority markets where we are seeing significant demand for online groceries among local consumers. We acknowledge the strong growth opportunity in the state, and with the launch of this new fulfillment center, consumers will have easy access to fresh groceries being delivered to them the next day at the convenience of their homes. This investment reinforces our commitment to reach the length and breadth of Bharat, bridging the digital gap and making online shopping more seamless for consumers while empowering local businesses, MSMEs, and farming communities and creating local job opportunities.”

Commenting on the launch, Hari Kumar G, Vice President, Head of Grocery, Flipkart, said, “Andhra Pradesh is a fast-growing market for us, and consumers are increasingly moving to online shopping for their daily grocery needs. Our new fulfillment center in Visakhapatnam will address this growing demand as we offer a broad array of superior-quality groceries at a great value to consumers on the next day. Through this launch, we aim to elevate consumer satisfaction while improving the growth of the overall region.”

Earlier, reliant on the Vijayawada fulfillment center, consumers of Visakhapatnam and nearby regions will now receive their grocery deliveries the next day at the right value. Flipkart continues to foster socio-economic growth in the regions it serves by empowering regional MSMEs, sellers, and farmers, while also supporting local businesses involved in food processing, logistics, packaging, and related sectors. Leveraging innovative technology, Flipkart Grocery enhances user engagement with features such as voice-enabled shopping, credit options, and open-box delivery, ensuring an elevated shopping experience.