Daily briefing

Saturday, 24 October 2026

Trent Westside push, Blinkit 3,500 stores, Flipkart 20% festive lift

Delhi desk: Festive tills and dark stores are moving, but value fashion is recalibrating. Watch the store counts and tier-2 tickets before Diwali week closes.

1. Retail

   Trent funds 100 Westside stores yearly

   ₹2,500 crore raise shifts focus to mid-premium after Zudio hits 1,000.

2. Ecommerce

   Blinkit raises target to 3,500 stores

   308 net adds in Q2 push March 2027 goal higher; smaller cities lead.

3. Ecommerce

   Flipkart festive orders rise 20-22%

   Tier-2 and Gen Z drive Big Billion Days; nine in ten shoppers visited.

4. Platforms

   Meesho Mall NMV surges 93%

   Branded push triples festive day-one orders from smaller towns.

5. Retail

   Trent pivots as value fashion crowds

   Westside capital raise signals Zudio’s easy density phase is ending.

6. Retail

   GST window opens for small ecom sellers Nov 1

   Simplified registration lets kirana-linked sellers list pan-India without new offices; platforms brace for compliance rush.