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Walmart-backed PhonePe winds down its Pincode app in yet another e-commerce step back
Yahoo Financeยท 2025-12-05 11:08
Core Insights - PhonePe has decided to wind down its Pincode e-commerce app and shift focus towards B2B services for offline merchants, citing the consumer-facing app as a distraction from its core objectives [1][2] Group 1: Pincode App Overview - Pincode was launched in April 2023 as part of PhonePe's entry into e-commerce, utilizing the Indian government's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to offer a variety of products from local shops [3] - Within a year, Pincode reduced its offerings to primarily food and shifted to a quick-commerce model, promising 10-minute deliveries in major cities [4] - The app's reliance on local shops for deliveries contrasted with competitors like Swiggy and Zomato's Blinkit, which use dark stores, but this strategy did not yield the expected market traction [5] Group 2: Strategic Shift - Following the shutdown of the Pincode app, PhonePe will redirect its resources to enhance B2B solutions for offline retailers, having already digitized over 1,000 local stores [6][7] - The company aims to provide tools for operational efficiency, improved margins, and visibility for small retailers, aligning with its primary business focus [2][7]