Swiggy Pilots First Physical Instamart Store Amid Heated Quick-Commerce Race

Food tech company Swiggy has piloted a physical experiential store in Gurugram, reportedly marking as the first attempt to build its retail presence along with ever-expanding digital services. According

to reports, the store is offering fresh fruits and vegetables, pulses, new D2C brand launches and Instamart’s private label products.

The store is seller-owned and operated, with Instamart providing branding and services. Sales will go directly to the seller, not routed through Swiggy.

It is a completely physical retail outlet, where customers can walk through aisles to select items they want to purchase like any physical store and do billing at the counters, without any interaction with its digital ‘Instamart app’.

Until now, Swiggy hasn’t announced either any information regarding its first physical retail store or any expansion plan it is seeking in the near future.

Some believe that it is positioned as a product discovery and engagement point, which has been placed strategically near residential societies to encourage trial and app-based purchases.

Swiggy earlier launched Rs 10,000 crore QIP to expand its presence aggressively, aimed at acquiring the larger market share in the Quick commerce segment.

The company has indicated that the fresh capital would be used to strengthen its balance sheet, fund growth opportunities and support investments across its platform, as reported by Moneycontrol.

Swiggy Instamart is the company’s quick-commerce arm that focuses on delivering daily essentials and groceries in minutes. Launched to tap rising demand for instant convenience, Instamart operates through dark stores located close to residential areas, allowing faster fulfilment compared to traditional e-commerce.

The Q-commerce race to dominate the market is heating up, with companies Swiggy, Eternal (Zomato) and Zepto are trying to grab the largest market share by hook or by crook.