Swiggy’s quick commerce arm Instamart has begun testing an offline format with the launch of a compact experiential store in Gurugram, signalling a new approach to customer engagement in a category built almost entirely on app-led convenience. The pilot outlet, located at M3M 65th Avenue, marks Instamart’s first physical retail experiment and reflects how quick commerce players are reassessing discovery, trust and category depth as the market matures.
Unlike Instamart’s dark stores, which are designed purely for rapid fulfilment and stock thousands of products, the Gurugram outlet carries a sharply curated range of roughly 100 to 200 stock keeping units. The focus is on categories where physical inspection influences buying decisions, including fresh fruits and vegetables, pulses, select packaged foods, new product launches and offerings from emerging direct to consumer brands. Customers can walk in, browse and purchase on the spot, blending instant gratification with product confidence.
A key distinction of the model is its ownership structure. The store is seller owned and seller operated, functioning under the Instamart brand rather than as a Swiggy run retail outlet. Sales are settled directly with sellers, mirroring the platform’s marketplace approach while keeping the format asset light for Instamart. Industry sources estimate the store size at about 400 square feet, positioned close to residential clusters to encourage regular footfall.
The pilot comes at a time when India’s quick commerce sector is moving beyond speed alone. Platforms such as Instamart, Blinkit and Zepto are increasingly focused on improving unit economics, expanding high trust categories and building repeat usage. Consumer preferences are also evolving, with greater emphasis on quality assurance and product familiarity, particularly for perishables.
Swiggy has not outlined any formal plans for a wider offline rollout, positioning the Gurugram store as a test rather than a shift towards traditional retail. For industry observers, the experiment offers insight into how quick commerce companies may combine digital scale with selective physical touchpoints to deepen engagement, without materially increasing capital expenditure. Whether the format scales will depend on consumer response, seller viability and its ability to complement fast delivery networks effectively.
