Ever needed to print out an assignment or boarding pass or even visa application forms at the last minute only to realise that the ink in the printer has turned into a piece of rock. Yes, we relate to the pain as well.
In August 2022, Blinkit launched printing services in select areas of Delhi NCR. The need was very selfish - we all felt that sporadic printing should not be a burden that occupies permanent space in our lives only to fail us when we really need it. It also helped that our existing distribution network enabled us to deliver high quality printouts to our customers at their doorsteps in minutes.
Why we built this service
I have bought three printers in the last five years. Sum total of all prints must probably be in double digits, not higher than 50. At the same time, I remember countless occasions of going to the office, especially to print out a boarding pass at the last minute and in one case, my visa application form so I could go play a tournament (oh, & brought back Gold! :D).
Not only did I feel ethically wrong in using company resources for personal purposes but I got increasingly frustrated with my printers (more specifically their ink). Then, I ran into a whole bunch of people who resonated with this story. So we decided to do something about it. For starters, I donated my printer before starting work on PAAS.
The long run
We are confident about the longevity of this much-needed service. In the first two weeks, we received 300+ orders from just one location in Delhi NCR. Today, PAAS has over 3000 happy customers with a repeat customer rate of 35%.
The stats made us believe in the relevance and need for this service, which was further strengthened by all the customer love we received on various platforms.
With the growing love, we have now released PAAS on iOS and Web as well. What’s also new is the multi-documents support on Android which lets one upload multiple files in the same cart for printing, and get them delivered in minutes. We will be launching this feature on iOS and the web soon.
What do you think we should ship next in PAAS? Do share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
