The dark side of dark stores

It was barely dawn and the streets in the upscale suburb of Neelankarai in Chennai were mostly empty, save for a few vegetable vendors, those out on morning walks, and devotees ambling to a temple nearby.

Outside a quick commerce dark store, however, a group of riders were already perched on their bikes. They looked groggy. Some rubbed their eyes to stay awake, weary from working late at night.
“Regardless of what happens—whether I have slept or bathed—I make sure to come in before 6am because that is when the peak time starts for us. I can always go back home and sleep in the afternoon when the order flow is less,” one of them reasoned.