Case Study: “Zepto Health Mode”
Product Proposal for AI-Driven Healthy Alternatives
The Core Idea
The concept is simple but transformative:
A global "Healthy" toggle situated prominently next to the search bar.
“Wellness at the speed of 10 minutes”
When a user switches this toggle on, the entire Zepto interface search results, recommendations, and homepage banners instantly adapts to prioritize nutritious, clean-label, and better-for-you options. It shifts the user's shopping context from "convenience buying" to "mindful buying" without forcing them to navigate away to a separate "Healthy" category page.
Value Add For User
Cognitive Load Reduction: Users no longer need to read the back of the pack or scroll past 20 junk food options to find the healthy one.
Discovery: Users looking for "Coke" might discover a "Probiotic Soda" or "Sugar-Free Cola" they didn't know existed.
Trust: Positioning Zepto as a partner in their health journey, not just a vendor of snacks.
Value Add For
Business
Increased AOV (Average Order Value): Healthy/Organic alternatives often command a 20–40% price premium (e.g., Almond milk vs. Regular milk).
differentiation: In the fierce battle with Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart, this positions Zepto as the "smart/premium" choice for the health-conscious urban demographic (Gen Z/Millennials).
Inventory Velocity for Niche Brands: Better visibility for high-margin D2C health brands (like The Whole Truth, Yoga Bar, etc.) that often get buried under mass-market FMCG giants.
The Old Experience (Without Toggle)
The New Experience (With Health Toggle)
Summary of Value Generated
Frictionless Wellness:She made a better choice without extra effort or searching for a specific niche category.
Higher AOV:She purchased a premium D2C snack brand (₹60) instead of a mass-market packet (₹20).
Reduced Cognitive Load: No need to read ingredients lists; the toggle acted as a trusted curator.
Brand Loyalty: Zepto becomes her "Health Partner," not just a delivery app, increasing her Lifetime Value (LTV).
The MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
Goal:
Prove utility with minimal engineering effort.
Visual Design:
A clean toggle placed to the right of the search bar (high visibility zone).
Scope:
Binary Filter: The toggle only works on Search Results.
Manual Tagging: Start with the top 50 search keywords (Milk, Bread, Chips, Biscuits, Soda) and manually map "Healthy Substitutes" for these high-volume queries.
UI Feedback: When toggled ON, the app theme (e.g., search bar border or background) subtly changes to green to indicate "Health Mode" is active.
Market Strategy
In-App Coach Mark:
A tooltip pointing to the new toggle saying
"Eating clean? Turn this on"
Push Notification:
"Searching for snacks? Toggle 'Healthy' for guilt-free munching."
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
we can calculate following KPI's
Usage Rate: % of Daily Active Users (DAU) who interact with the toggle.
Conversion Delta: Does conversion rate drop when the toggle is ON? If yes, our healthy suggestions might be too expensive or irrelevant.
Usage Rate: % of Daily Active Users (DAU) who interact with the toggle
AOV Impact: Difference in basket value between "Health Mode" sessions vs. Normal sessions
Retention: Do users who use the toggle return to the app more frequently?
Strategic Benefit to the Brand
Positioning Zepto as a Lifestyle Partner
Currently, Quick Commerce is transactional,it's about speed. By introducing this feature, Zepto moves up the value chain. It says,
"We don't just deliver fast; we help you live better."
Competitive Moat: While competitors focus on
"ON TIME DELIVERY"
Zepto focuses on "10 minutes to a better you."
Data Goldmine: Zepto collects valuable data on intent. Knowing a user prefers "Gluten-Free" is incredibly valuable for ad targeting and private label product development
e.g., launching a "Zepto Life" Gluten-Free bread.
This feature is a low-risk, high-reward implementation that leverages existing inventory to create a superior user experience.