Blinkit Plans 3,000 Dark Stores by March 2027, Keeps Focus on Top Cities

By March 2027, Blinkit will have close to 3,000 dark stores, effectively expanding its presence in high-density networks in the largest consumption centres in India. The push facilitates quicker revenue and user gains but has augmented short-term expenses, highlighting a trade-off between velocity and momentary profitability as rivalry rises.

Expansion by the numbers

Blinkit ended Q2 FY26 with 1,816 dark stores after adding 272 in the quarter — up from 1,544 in the previous quarter and 791 a year earlier. By December 2025, the management is predicting to have 2,100 stores and 3,000 by March 2027. On performance measures, revenue increased 756% to Rs 9,891 crore, net order value increased 137% to Rs 11,679 crore and the average monthly transacting users increased more than 20 times by 20.8 million (as compared to 8.9 million last year).

Density in top cities

Albinder Dhindsa framed the plan as a density-first strategy. “We have been maintaining our quarterly rate of net store additions consistently for the last few quarters, and given what we know today, we think we should be able to get to 3,000 stores by March 2027,” he said in a letter to shareholders. Dhindsa also made clear that about 70–75% of new stores will be added in the top 10 cities, where order volumes and frequency remain highest.

Profitability: the near-term cost of scale

The rapid buildout has pushed up short-term costs. Blinkit posted a loss in the EBITDA of Rs 156 crore in Q2 FY26 and a loss of Rs 8 crore last year. Losses continued to widen in Q3, albeit more moderately than in Q1, indicating that cost discipline is being instilled, although the scale-up is obviously squeezing near-term margins with increased investments made in rent, inventory, staffing and logistics.

Blinkit’s strategy relies on improving throughput per store and reducing delivery radii to lift orders fulfilled per hour. The company’s shift to an inventory-led model supports SKU availability and pricing control but also increases working capital and inventory risk. The critical execution variables are site selection, stocking strategy, routing efficiency and new-store productivity in non-metro rollouts.

The quick-commerce field is fiercely contested. The capabilities of Zepto, Swiggy, and Instamart, as well as the retail giants Flipkart and Amazon, are all growing their urban fulfilment. New capital rounds and rapid expansions imply that Blinkit has to use speed in a sustainable manner in terms of unit economics; otherwise, the price and marketing wars may continue to weigh on margins.

What denser dark stores deliver for users

For urban consumers, denser dark stores promise faster deliveries and better availability for everyday essentials — turning last-minute grocery runs into a habit rather than a hassle. For restaurants and local merchants, improved micro-fulfilment can stabilise demand and improve inventory turns. But the consumer benefit comes with higher operational complexity upstream in the supply chain.

Key Consideration:

• Store productivity: NOV and orders/hour per store.
• Unit economics: Contribution margin and payback period per store.
• Customer retention: Repeat purchase rates vs. CAC.
• Inventory turns & working capital: Impact of inventory-led model on cash flow.
• Expansion mix: Share of new stores in top 8–10 cities vs. smaller towns.

Blinkit’s 3,000-store target is a clear strategic statement: own urban density, control inventory, and lock in high-frequency customers. The approach can yield sticky demand and pricing control, but only if execution converts rapid store additions into healthier unit economics. In the coming quarters, Blinkit’s ability to translate scale into margin improvements — while fending off aggressive rivals — will decide whether this density-first play is a durable winner or an expensive experiment.