Opinion · Retail
Value formats keep winning the floor fight
Zudio-style sub-₹999 engines and DMart clusters are still setting the pace while premium doors chase margin.
The Desk, Editorial··4 min read
DMart’s rapid store intimations and Zudio’s march past 1,000 outlets land in the same week as another wholesale consolidation. Both formats run on tight inventory cycles and ruthless price points that leave little room for mid-tier players.
A kirana next to a new DMart or a multi-brand store beside a fresh Zudio feels the ticket-size hit first. Shoppers fill baskets with staples or full outfits under clear price ceilings, and the till data shows up within days.
Volume plus private label continues to outrun pure brand premiumisation in most catchments.
Premium and department-store formats can protect margins with exclusive labels, yet they cede frequency and reach. Quick-commerce players feel the same pressure when value chains densify dark-store catchments with everyday low prices.
The next test sits in the festive window and the coming quarterly filings. Watch whether same-store growth holds as the new doors mature and whether private-label mix keeps climbing.