Opinion · Retail
Value retail’s festive tightrope looks thinner this year
Inflation absorption and quick-commerce frequency are testing the old low-price promise just as footfall peaks.
The Desk · 7 Oct · 4 min read
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Opinion · Retail
Will private-label department stores outrun value fashion this festive?
Trent’s Westside bet and Nykaa’s fee waiver both point to the same shopper: one who wants curated product without endless discounting.
The Desk · 3 Oct · 4 min read
Supply Chain
D2C food brands widen offline trade as quick-commerce shelves fill
Dark-store space crunch before festive forces snacks and sweets makers onto B2B marketplaces and kirana-modern trade routes.
Farhan Qureshi · 3 Oct · 4 min read
Opinion · Platforms
Why Tier-2 festive growth now decides marketplace winners
Homegrown labels already clock 60 per cent jumps in smaller towns; the next two weeks will separate platforms that can fulfil from those that only promise.
The Desk · 2 Oct · 4 min read
Opinion · Ecommerce
Will dark-store scale finally cool the q-comm discount war?
As Amazon and Flipkart near 1,000 sites the incentive race shows early signs of moderation, yet festive demand could reignite burns.
The Desk · 29 Sep · 4 min read
Opinion · Retail
Why physical stores still write the festive cheque
Opinion: Dark stores win minutes, but square footage still wins baskets and private-label margins when families stock up.
The Desk · 27 Sep · 4 min read
Ecommerce
Meesho draws Nomura Reduce tag as valuation premium bites
Stock slips 5% after the broker flags premium to peers despite lower NMV growth, squeezing merchant acquisition budgets.
Ananya Rao · 27 Sep · 4 min read
Ecommerce
FSSAI starts penal action against Amazon Flipkart Zepto Instamart
Five platforms face proceedings over Happilo claims and Dhatura listings, raising compliance costs for every dark-store operator.
Ananya Rao · 24 Sep · 4 min read
Opinion · Ecommerce
Why Amazon and Flipkart still cannot ignore the dark-store math
Festive capacity is useless if the minutes layer keeps taking the daily habit.
The Desk · 23 Sep · 4 min read
Platforms
Blinkit and Zepto turn iPhone 18 launch into 10-minute marketing play
Quick commerce platforms list scarce units on launch day to own the immediacy conversation.
Rhea Kapoor · 23 Sep · 4 min read
Ecommerce
Flipkart Big Billion Days starts 9 October a day after Amazon
Both platforms lock the festive calendar and force brands to split inventory and ad spends.
Ananya Rao · 23 Sep · 4 min read
Ecommerce
Amazon sets Great Indian Festival for 8 October with 1.6 lakh jobs
Network adds 20 fulfilment centres and 150 last-mile stations just as shoppers start stocking lists.
Ananya Rao · 23 Sep · 4 min read
Opinion · Retail
Why festive capacity and MDR will decide October margins
Hiring blitzes and new payment costs land together just as festive tickets swell; the shop floor will sort winners fast.
The Desk · 17 Sep · 4 min read
Opinion · Retail
Value density is the only game left
Zudio’s 1,000 stores and Minutes’ city rush show that cheap, close and frequent now beat brand theatre.
The Desk · 14 Sep · 4 min read
Supply Chain
India retail inflation seen at 4.9 percent in August
Mint poll of 21 economists projects 20-month high on food prices, lifting input costs just before festive buying.
Farhan Qureshi · 12 Sep · 4 min read
Retail
Avenue Supermarts raises ₹300 crore via commercial paper
DMart parent taps short-term debt on 8 September to keep store expansion funded while same-store growth stays measured.
Meera Iyer · 12 Sep · 4 min read
Retail
Carrefour opens 50,000-sq-ft Greater Noida store, eyes 50
French hypermarket returns via Apparel Group franchise with large-format bet that still needs floor space for the big basket.
Meera Iyer · 11 Sep · 4 min read
Platforms
Flipkart launches Fashion Spotlight, targets 500 D2C brands
Marketplace programme gives Tier-2 fashion labels video tools, live commerce and virtual try-on to scale before festive, cutting discovery cost for new sellers.
Rhea Kapoor · 10 Sep · 4 min read
Ecommerce
Festive e-com set for growth as quick commerce reshapes baskets
Infisum and Fynd data show D2C pre-Navratri orders already up and full-season GMV expected 35-40% higher, lifting dark-store throughput.
Ananya Rao · 8 Sep · 4 min read
Ecommerce
DMart Ready exits 7 cities, now runs in 11
Online grocery arm retreats from marginal markets as Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart intensify the fight.
Ananya Rao · 6 Sep · 4 min read