SUNDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2026

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.

, Retail correspondent··4 min read

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

Swiss chocolatier Lindt will open nearly 20 exclusive brand stores in India over the next two-and-a-half years, with distributor VTC Group mandated for 11 outlets in north and west. The first 1,100 sq ft Delhi store launched last month stocking over 500 products including 17 Lindor flavours.

VTC, which has distributed Lindt for five years, is scouting two more Delhi sites plus Gurugram, Noida, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. Range expands to 25 Lindor flavours by December.

A premium chocolate counter in a mall now competes directly with gifting seasons instead of relying only on modern trade shelves. Shoppers walking past the Delhi store see the full assortment that kiranas never stocked.

First store stocks over 500 SKUs with Lindor range set to hit 25 flavours by December.

The rollout helps imported indulgence brands gain controlled retail while pressuring domestic premium sweet makers on festive gifting share. It also fills smaller specialty boxes landlords struggle to lease.

Watch Christmas sell-through numbers and the next two store openings before year-end for whether the model scales beyond NCR.

Filed under Retail·Meera Iyer

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