New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- Consumers of quick commerce are thrilled by speed, but for the delivery guy, it's hardly a joyride.

Companies like Instamart, Blinkit and Zepto that deliver grocery and other household essentials within minutes have expanded their network of dark stores - distribution centres set up in densely populated areas to fulfil online orders - in a bid to save costs and accelerate deliveries.

A surge in these dark stores is surely speeding up deliveries but shrinking rider paychecks, as shorter trips slash distance-linked incentives.

As a result, average per-order payouts to quick commerce riders have tumbled, and delivery workers are now quitting platforms within 3-6 months of joining, say industry experts.

"Store densit...