Bengaluru, 21st of September, 2023: With a spate of long weekends leading up to the pre-festive season mood, an increasing number of customers from Bengaluru are choosing road travel with merchants such as Zoomcar, DriveU, and QuickRide. According to insights from Simpl India’s foremost checkout network, bookings on merchant platforms made via its 1-tap checkout witnessed a 2x rise in demand in August this year as against same time in 2022. Among the travel options, self-driven cars are fast emerging as one of the most preferred choices among customers, with Zoomcar, the leading marketplace for car sharing in emerging markets, posting a remarkable growth of nearly 3x in transactions through Simpl’s 1-tap checkout network.
At a pan-India level, Zoomcar experienced a substantial upswing in bookings, demonstrating over 50% increase. This surge serves as a clear indicator of a significant shift in consumer behavior throughout the country. It mirrors the growing preference among Indian travelers for the flexibility provided by Zoomcar, coupled with the convenience of Simpl’s 1-tap checkout.
While metropolitan areas, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, led the surge in demand, tier-2 cities such as Coimbatore, Jaipur, and Vizag are also witnessing a significant uptick in road travel. Additionally, the insights reveal a consistent trend of higher bookings from Thursday through Sunday, primarily attributable to the allure of weekends. Furthermore, the data suggests a steady pattern of increased bookings from Thursday to Sunday, largely driven by the appeal of weekends.
Commenting on this trend, Ashwini Ravindranath, Vice-President, Partner Success at Simpl, said ‘In the midst of extended weekends and the surging pre-festive enthusiasm for road travel in Bengaluru and across the country, our partner merchants are steadfast in their commitment to delivering unparalleled comfort to discerning travelers. At Simpl, we take immense pride in our pivotal role as facilitators, providing a seamless 1-tap checkout experience that is not only effortless but also distinguished by its refinement. This marks a significant milestone for us in empowering our merchants to elevate each traveler’s journey with poise and confidence, transforming every payment experience into an unforgettable one.’
Among the diverse demographic segments, our data reveals a noteworthy trend: a substantial 62% of our users fall within the age bracket of 21-30 years. This finding provides valuable insights into the evolving preferences of the younger generation. It suggests that the age group, most commonly associated with dynamic and adventurous travel, is increasingly accessing services provided by Zoomcar, DriveU and QuickRide seamlessly though Simpl’s 1-tap Checkout.
Commenting on this Greg Moran, CEO & Co Founder, Zoomcar said, ‘As an organization, we have a nuanced understanding of consumers’ evolving preferences and have been at the forefront of making available the widest selection of cars across each of our markets for their convenience. The onset of the festive season marked with several long-weekends in August has led to a sharp uptick in the demand for self-drive cars. Here, an added convenience in the form of Simpl’s 1-tap checkout has played a crucial role in offering a seamless booking journey for the customer across the board’.
Zoomcar partnered with Simpl in 2021, and since then, the self-drive service provider has significantly contributed to increasing their average ticket size by 40%.
As we approach the festive season, this surge in travel bookings through Simpl Checkout serves as a testament to the evolving preferences of Indian consumers and their preference for a quick, and seamless Checkout option. Currently, over 26,000 large, medium and small merchants like Zomato, Big Basket, Book my Show, Jio Mart and Rapido use Simpl’s Checkout options to bring trust and convenience for their customers.