KARACHI: Krave Mart, now operating under inDrive Groceries, is targeting Pakistan’s fragmented quick-commerce market by expanding in major cities and focusing on delivery efficiency and private-label products, according to its chief executive.
Pakistan’s quick-commerce sector has struggled to achieve scale as companies contend with thin margins, high delivery costs and competition from thousands of neighbourhood retailers. Several global and local players have either exited or scaled back operations in recent years.
When asked about his views on Pakistan’s openness to q-commerce companies, Kassim Shroff, CEO and co-founder of Krave Mart, which is now part of the inDrive ecosystem as inDrive.Groceries, said that Pakistan’s q-commerce market should not be viewed as unfavourable; rather, it remains an under-optimised and evolving space where there is still no definitive market leader.
“While several players are operating in the sector, inDrive Groceries, with Krave Mart, has already established a strong position, particularly in Karachi. In q-commerce, operational density plays a critical role in long-term success, and our strategy is centred on building strong density and efficiency across key urban centres.”
“Operationally, we prioritise dark store efficiency, optimising our product mix, and data-led demand forecasting to maintain sustainable unit economics rather than pursuing aggressive growth at any cost. Another key differentiator is our localised merchandising strategy, which recognises that consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns can vary significantly from one area to another. For example, what sells in DHA may not necessarily sell in Gulshan.”
While ‘kirana’ stores continue to hold a strong position in Pakistan because of their proximity, customer trust and informal credit systems that many households rely on, Shroff said the company’s focus is on offering greater convenience and efficiency to consumers who are becoming increasingly comfortable with digital services and do not aim to replace neighbourhood stores overnight.
He said inDrive Groceries offers several advantages that can encourage users to shift towards online ordering. These include fast deliveries within 20 to 30 minutes, a wider assortment of products than a typical neighbourhood store and more variety in pack sizes and quantity options.
But why did the company decide to integrate within inDrive? Shroff said this creates opportunities for Krave Mart to leverage users across both the ride-hailing and delivery ecosystems through a shared platform environment. This enables stronger opportunities for customer acquisition and retention while increasing overall platform engagement.
He explained that inDrive also brings valuable experience in scaling marketplace platforms across emerging markets, along with strong financial backing and operational expertise. Importantly, both companies share a similar philosophy focused on sustainable unit economics and disciplined, long-term growth rather than prioritising expansion at any cost.
Rising prices are one of the biggest challenges for quick commerce businesses because deliveries depend heavily on transportation. When fuel costs rise, it becomes more expensive to move products between stores and deliver orders to customers.
According to the Krave Mart CEO, his company is responding to this challenge by focusing on making deliveries smarter and more efficient. “We are also grouping nearby orders together where possible to make deliveries more efficient. At the same time, encouraging larger basket sizes helps make deliveries more sustainable overall.”
Pakistan has been notorious for its slow internet speeds. On technology adoption, the CEO said that slow internet speeds have not posed a major obstacle because most modern apps are already optimised to function effectively in low-bandwidth environments. However, the country’s transition towards 5G connectivity could significantly improve app reliability, user experience and real-time optimisation of logistics operations.
“When it comes to autonomous deliveries,” the CEO said, “Pakistan is still likely five to 10 years away from widespread adoption due to regulatory limitations and infrastructure constraints. Warehouse automation may arrive sooner in selective areas such as sorting and inventory management systems, but full-scale automation remains unlikely in the short term.”
When asked about the company’s future plans, the CEO said that their “immediate focus is on major cities such as Karachi and Lahore, where customer demand, purchasing power and delivery infrastructure are stronger. Quick commerce works best in densely populated urban areas, where orders are frequent and deliveries can be made quickly and efficiently. Rural expansion comes with different challenges, including lower order volumes and infrastructure limitations, which can make rapid delivery models harder to sustain. While expansion into more cities remains part of our long-term vision, our current priority is strengthening operations in key urban markets first.”
