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20 stories for “PE”

Neat rows of folded colourful apparel on low tables under bright store lights

Opinion · Retail

Why Zudio's volume machine keeps rewriting fashion maths

Sub-₹999 weekly drops and 1,000-plus stores force peers to choose between scale and premium margins this festive season.

The Desk · 27 Oct · 4 min read

Shuttered glass storefront of a small convenience outlet on a city pavement at dusk

Retail

Reliance Retail shuts last 31 7-Eleven stores after ₹90 crore loss

Five-year master franchise ends as Japanese parent confirms closures in Mumbai and Pune on 30 September.

Meera Iyer · 27 Oct · 4 min read

Rows of packed grocery shelves inside a windowless dark store with delivery crates stacked

Ecommerce

Blinkit posts ₹184 crore profit as Instamart losses hit ₹895 crore

Eternal's quick-commerce arm handles three times the orders and turns adjusted EBITDA positive while Swiggy's unit widens the gap.

Ananya Rao · 27 Oct · 4 min read

Stack of signed deal folders and a calculator on a plain office desk under tube light

Retail

Retail sector logs 127 deals worth $1.92 bn in Q3

Grant Thornton count shows retail-tech leading investment while personal-care deal value jumps six-fold and e-commerce tops volume.

Meera Iyer · 27 Oct · 4 min read

Retail

Trent seals Caffe Nero deal for in-store cafes

Licensing pact follows failed Starbucks talks and puts coffee next to Zudio and Westside tills for longer dwell time.

Meera Iyer · 27 Oct · 4 min read

Quiet tier-2 market street at dusk with closed shutters and a single lit grocery window

Opinion · Retail

Why value fashion and quick commerce now share the same risk

Both formats are racing into smaller cities with thinner unit economics just as festive demand peaks.

The Desk · 26 Oct · 4 min read

Warehouse packing station with sealed cartons stacked under industrial lights ready for dispatch

Ecommerce

Flipkart festive DAUs hit new high on day one

Non-metro shoppers and first-timers power Big Billion Days open; horizontal platforms see early volume lift.

Ananya Rao · 26 Oct · 4 min read

Retail

Zudio opens 23,000 sq ft Gurugram flagship

Two-floor store anchors M2K Corporate Park, extending value fashion into mixed-use office-retail catchments.

Meera Iyer · 26 Oct · 4 min read

Spacious multi-level apparel floor with neat private-label racks and soft overhead lighting

Retail

Trent bets on 100 Westside stores a year

Board-backed ₹2,500 crore raise funds mid-premium push as Zudio faces crowded value aisles and margin watch.

Meera Iyer · 26 Oct · 4 min read

Lit convenience shelves stocked with snacks beside a fuel pump canopy at dusk

Retail

YatriKart seals ₹120 crore pact for 1,000 Quick Stop stores

FICO deal with MMG Group starts with 100 Delhi-NCR outlets at fuel stations and transit hubs.

Rhea Kapoor · 25 Oct · 4 min read

Glass display cases filled with foil-wrapped chocolate balls under warm spotlights

Retail

Lindt plans 20 exclusive stores across India in 2.5 years

VTC Group opens Delhi flagship with 500 SKUs and targets north-west cities before Christmas flavours land.

Meera Iyer · 25 Oct · 4 min read

Stacked delivery crates and helmets inside a lit warehouse aisle at dawn

Ecommerce

Zepto Swiggy Blinkit drop 10-minute delivery claims

Labour ministry meeting forces rebrand after gig-worker strikes; dark stores stay but clocks reset.

Meera Iyer · 25 Oct · 4 min read

Empty multi-level apparel racks under bright ceiling lights in a large empty store hall

Retail

Trent bets ₹2,500 crore on 100 Westside stores a year

Tata retail arm shifts from Zudio volume to mid-premium margins as value fashion crowds up.

Ananya Rao · 25 Oct · 4 min read

Two empty apparel racks side by side—one sparse value, one denser mid-premium—under mixed store lighting

Opinion · Retail

Why Trent’s Westside sprint leaves Zudio exposed

Value fashion’s easy density is over; the capital is moving to higher baskets just as competition floods the same towns.

The Desk · 24 Oct · 4 min read

Folded apparel stacks and price tags on a simple wooden table in a small-town wholesale lane

Platforms

Meesho Mall NMV jumps 93% as branded goods reach tier-3

Festive day-one orders more than triple; small-town buyers trade up, pressuring unbranded wholesalers and local garment units.

Rhea Kapoor · 24 Oct · 4 min read

Open cardboard cartons and packing tape rolls on a warehouse sorting table under yellow lights

Ecommerce

Flipkart Big Billion Days lifts orders 20-22% as tier-2 leads

Nine in ten online shoppers visited; Gen Z and non-metro tickets decide the festive margin for marketplace sellers.

Ananya Rao · 24 Oct · 4 min read

Stacked crates and insulated bags inside a compact urban warehouse aisle under bright LED strips

Ecommerce

Blinkit lifts store target to 3,500 by March 2027 after 308 adds

Eternal’s quick-commerce arm now eyes 5,000 by March 2028; dark-store landlords and private-label packers see faster fill rates.

Ananya Rao · 24 Oct · 4 min read

Empty mid-size apparel floor with hanging rails and soft overhead lights before opening

Retail

Trent bets on 100 Westside stores yearly with ₹2,500 cr raise

Tata retailer shifts from Zudio speed to mid-premium density; landlords and private-label suppliers gain first call on the capital.

Meera Iyer · 24 Oct · 4 min read

Exterior view of a modest warehouse-style building with delivery scooters parked outside at dusk

Opinion · Supply Chain

Why Blinkit’s store sprint changes the rent game

Faster dark-store adds in smaller cities will reprice hyperlocal real estate and force rivals to match density or cede the basket.

The Desk · 23 Oct · 4 min read

Empty apparel racks and hanging garments inside a brightly lit new fashion store

Retail

Virgio opens five new stores across four cities

D2C sustainable fashion brand shifts harder offline with simultaneous launches in Surat, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

Rhea Kapoor · 23 Oct · 4 min read