Swiggy Instamart Launches Seller-Run Experiential Store in Gurugram

Swiggy Instamart, the quick-commerce arm of Swiggy, has quietly stepped into the physical world, but with guardrails firmly in place. The company has opened its first Instamart-branded offline experiential store in Gurugram, marking a tightly scoped pilot rather than a strategic pivot toward brick-and-mortar retail.

Sources familiar with the development say the store is part of a limited consumer experiment aimed at product discovery and engagement, not an entry into omnichannel commerce. Unlike Instamart’s core operations, the store is neither owned nor operated by Swiggy.

A Seller-Owned Store, Not a Swiggy-Run Outlet

The Gurugram outlet operates under a seller-owned, seller-operated model. Instamart’s role is limited to branding and service support, while all sales made at the store accrue directly to the seller.

This structure allows Swiggy to test offline consumer behaviour without taking on inventory risk or operational complexity, an approach that aligns with its asset-light, quick-commerce DNA.

For Instamart, the pilot offers a controlled environment to observe how physical touchpoints influence buying decisions, particularly in categories that remain difficult to sell purely online.

Smaller Format, Sharper Focus

At under 1,000 square feet, the experiential store is significantly smaller than Instamart’s dark stores, which typically span 2,500 to 4,000 square feet. It is also far more compact than the company’s larger “megapod” formats, which can extend up to 8,000 square feet.

The store stocks only a few hundred SKUs, a sharp contrast to the nearly 40,000 SKUs commonly housed in a dark store. The reduced assortment underscores the experimental nature of the format, prioritising curation over scale.

Where Touch Still Matters in Quick Commerce

Products at the store span select categories where physical inspection can influence purchasing decisions. These include fresh fruits and vegetables, pulses, and offerings from emerging direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands.

Sources say sellers were keen to experiment with an offline format under the Instamart brand, particularly for categories where look, feel, and freshness remain critical factors. The store is designed to act as a discovery-led space rather than a full-service retail outlet.

While only one store has opened so far, similar formats could be positioned around residential societies if the experiment delivers useful insights. However, sources stress that no broader rollout or expansion roadmap has been finalised.

Importantly, this is not being positioned internally as a move toward traditional offline retail. Instead, it is framed as a focused test to understand whether physical experiences can complement quick-commerce economics without diluting operational efficiency.

Experiment Comes Amid Intensifying Competition

The offline pilot follows Swiggy’s recent ₹1,000 crore fundraise via a qualified institutional placement (QIP), with a large portion earmarked for its quick-commerce business. As competition intensifies and margins remain under pressure, platforms are increasingly exploring differentiated formats to drive engagement and retention.

For Instamart, the Gurugram store represents a low-risk way to explore how offline touchpoints might influence online behaviour, without rewriting its core business model.