Zomato has once again outperformed expectations, showcasing a robust performance in its core food delivery business. This impressive growth trajectory has been significantly propelled by the company’s strategic Gold subscription programme. The latest quarterly figures are in, and they tell a compelling story of success and expansion. Zomato's Gross Order Value (GOV) soared to INR 7,980 crore, marking a notable 20% increase year-on-year.

With the food delivery giant witnessing an increase in average monthly transacting customers from 17.5 million to 18.4 million, the surge in order volumes has been remarkable, keeping the average order value stable. According to Rakesh Ranjan, the chief executive of the food delivery vertical, this growth has been "almost entirely led by growth in order volumes."

The Gold subscription programme has emerged as a significant contributor to this growth, accounting for about 40 percent of the GOV in the latest quarter. Membership numbers doubled from the previous quarter, hitting 3.8 million subscribers. Despite impacting the margins due to factors such as negligible delivery charges for Gold members and additional operational costs, the programme is refining its edge. Akshant Goyal, the chief financial officer at Zomato, emphasizes the narrowing margin gap between Gold and non-Gold orders, underscoring a strategic shift towards absolute contribution profit.

Competing head-on with its rival Swiggy’s Swiggy One subscription, Zomato has not extended its Gold benefits to BlinkIt but continues to hone its flagship programme. Amidst this strategy, the company has recorded a profit for the second consecutive quarter, with INR 36 crore for the three months ending September, coupled with a revenue from operations standing at INR 2,848 crore.

These fruitful results have propelled Zomato’s shares to climb over 10 percent, pushing the company's market capitalization beyond the USD 12 billion mark. Zomato's strategic focus on its Gold subscription programme, paired with relentless pursuit of operational efficiencies, paints a promising picture for its stakeholders.