Shiprocket, the Delhi-NCR based logistics tech unicorn, is piloting a new D2C marketplace named Zop. Launched a few weeks ago, Zop hosts 200-300 brands across eight categories, including fashion, beauty, and electronics.
Saahil Goel, Co-founder, Managing Director, and CEO of Shiprocket, stated that Zop will boost demand for D2C brands and enhance their visibility. “D2C brands struggling with demand generation or online exposure should consider trying Zop,” Goel remarked.
Currently, Zop charges brands a sales commission for listing their products.
Goel, without disclosing specifics, mentioned that Shiprocket and Zop will conduct various experiments to boost demand for D2C brands. Zop is currently focusing on smaller brands facing high advertising costs and relying on Meta’s cost per thousand impressions (CPM).
“Zop will assist brands with discovery, advertising, and generating traffic beyond the reach of Meta and Google,” he added.
Shiprocket Competes with Major Marketplaces:
With the launch of Zop, Shiprocket will compete with major players in the marketplace segment, including Meesho, Amazon, Flipkart, and JioMart.
The CEO noted that it is too early to estimate Zop’s topline potential but highlighted that Zop will have a unique advantage over Flipkart and Amazon by focusing exclusively on helping Indian homegrown D2C brands gain visibility.
Founded in 2017 by Goel, Vishesh Khurana, Akshay Gulati, and Gautam Kapoor, Shiprocket is a third-party logistics aggregator that provides various e-commerce services, including digital marketing, analytics, and WhatsApp commerce.
Although 80% of the startup’s revenue still comes from shipping, it has expanded its offerings over the past 18-24 months to include payments, marketing, exports, and more.
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Recent Acquisitions and Future Plans:
In the past two years, Shiprocket has acquired five companies—Glaucus Supply Chain Solutions, Wigzo, Pickrr, Omuni, and Rocketbox—and is expected to pursue further acquisitions in the coming months, according to Goel.
“We began our journey with shipping and focused on that for five years. Over the past two years, we have expanded into products related to payments, conversion, checkout, lending, and exporting,” he said. He added that generating demand is one of the last areas the company aims to address.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major disruptor to marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart. Companies such as Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart have ventured into traditional marketplace territory with their dark store models. It remains to be seen how Zop will navigate and compete in this evolving market.
In 2024, many D2C brands are shifting to a quick commerce-first strategy, narrowing their focus away from traditional marketplaces.
Although Zop is still in its pilot stage, the timing of the launch is notable. Shiprocket has recently introduced a WhatsApp storefront bot and is launching a quick shipping service for small businesses and direct sellers. These moves suggest that Shiprocket aims to build e-commerce SaaS solutions for smaller businesses, making the addition of the marketplace a more capital-intensive endeavour.
Additionally, the company has recently launched Shiprocket Quick for same-day deliveries in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Shiprocket, which is aiming for a public offering next year, is reportedly in the process of raising approximately $120 million.
Tribe Capital, along with other investors, is negotiating to invest further in the company at a valuation of $1 billion to $1.1 billion, marking a flat round. The startup has raised over $350 million to date and has investors including Moore Strategic Partners, Zomato, PayPal, and McKinsey, among others.
