Impact of E-Commerce and Quick Commerce on the Operational Sustainability of Small Kirana Stores in the Hubli-Dharwad Region

Kirankumar S Balagi; Santosh Rukumpur; Arogyaswamy Karadi; Prasanna Kallimath

Impact of E-Commerce and Quick Commerce on the Operational Sustainability of Small Kirana Stores in the Hubli-Dharwad Region

Author(s)	Mr. Kirankumar S Balagi, Mr. Santosh Rukumpur, Mr. Arogyaswamy Karadi, Mr. Prasanna Kallimath
Country	India
Abstract	This study explores the effects of e-commerce platforms (Amazon, Flipkart) and quick commerce services (Blinkit, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart) on small kirana stores in Hubli-Dharwad, Karnataka, India—a twin-city area with more than 1,500 such stores that play a crucial role in a local retail economy of Rs100 crore per day. The study employs a mixed-methods design, interviewing 100 kirana store owners through a structured questionnaire comprising 25 Likert-scale items (1-5: Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree). It examines core aspects like sales decline, reduction in customer footfalls, inventory turnover issues, profitability deterioration, coping mechanisms (home delivery, digital payments, platform partnerships) and measures of sustainability: economic viability, community relations, and operational viability. The paper situates these tensions within the context of national kirana market share shrinking from 95% (2018) to an estimated 88.9% (2028), coupled with ~200,000 closures as a result of quick commerce gaining 46-70% of grocery purchases on impulse through 10-30 minute deliveries in Tier-2 cities. It studies the localised vulnerabilities in the retail landscape of Hubli-Dharwad and suggests a set of actionable recommendations – subsidised digital upskilling programmes, platform-kirana partnerships for last mile fulfilment, policy interventions to ensure level playing field and hyperlocal innovations such as WhatsApp ordering and using eco-friendly packaging to boost sustainability. This micro-regional analysis fills important empirical voids, offering substantiated guidance to retailers, policy makers and e-commerce players on how to ensure inclusive growth in the face of digital retail disruption.
Keywords	Keywords: E-commerce, Quick Commerce, Kirana Stores, Operational Sustainability, Hubli-Dharwad, Regression Analysis
Field	Sociology > Administration / Law / Management
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-02-05

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Impact of E-Commerce and Quick Commerce on the Operational Sustainability of Small Kirana Stores in the Hubli-Dharwad Region

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