Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal Says Consumer Habits Give Company Better Shot Than Amazon In Quick Commerce

Speaking during Eternal’s Q4 FY26 earnings call and in a letter to shareholders, Goyal dismissed concerns that AI-driven chat interfaces from Big Tech could disrupt food delivery and quick commerce. He argued that consumer behavior and brand loyalty are far harder to change than technology trends.

Why Zomato Believes It Can Beat Amazon

Goyal compared Amazon’s attempts to dominate transactional behavior with Google’s earlier efforts to integrate flights, hotels, and shopping into its ecosystem. Despite massive scale, vertical apps like Booking.com, Expedia, and Zomato survived because users built habits around them. He argued that general-purpose AI interfaces are poorly suited for high-frequency, complex transactions such as food ordering or grocery delivery. 

Consumer Habits And Brand Recall

According to Goyal, habitual transactions are Zomato’s biggest moat. Customers who order food multiple times a week or restock groceries on Blinkit every other day are unlikely to switch to a generic chat interface. He stressed: “When someone is hungry, they think Zomato; when they need groceries quickly, they think Blinkit.” 

AI As An Enabler

Rather than a threat, Goyal sees AI as an opportunity. Eternal is already one of the largest deployers of AI in demand prediction, route optimization, supply chain management, fraud detection, and customer experience. He believes conversational interfaces will lower barriers for older users, non-native speakers, and tier-II and tier-III city consumers, expanding Zomato’s reach. 

Financial Momentum

Eternal reported strong Q4 FY26 results:

• Net order value (NOV) crossed $10 billion annually for the first time.
• Profit after tax surged 346% year-on-year to ₹174 crore.
• Goyal expects NOV to double to $20 billion in under two years.
• Eternal aims to scale adjusted EBITDA to $1 billion by FY29. 

Quick Commerce Insights Highlights

•⁠  ⁠Deepinder Goyal says Zomato has better odds than Amazon in quick commerce

•⁠  ⁠Consumer habits and brand recall cited as key structural advantages

•⁠  ⁠General-purpose AI interfaces seen as unsuitable for complex, frequent transactions

•⁠  ⁠Eternal deploys AI across demand prediction, logistics, and customer experience

•⁠  ⁠Q4 FY26 profit surged 346% YoY, NOV crossed $10 billion

•⁠  ⁠Blinkit and Zomato positioned as distinct superbrands rather than a single super app

Sources: Storyboard18, Outlook Business, Financial Times