Retail in 2024: The big picture
Retail in India witnessed another year of double-digit current value growth in 2024, although a slowdown was seen in the rate of increase compared with the previous few years. This was due to high inflation on some major essential food products, including vegetables, fruits, and edible oils, which led consumers to limit their overall expenditure, especially on non-essentials, and prioritise those retail channels which offered better prices for essential purchases.
Price, and level of involvement in the buying process are leading parameters when choosing a retail channel
When deciding which retail channel to choose, Indian consumers have varied preferences, depending mainly on the price points of each channel, and level of involvement in the purchasing decision. Although rising from a low base, hypermarkets saw a strong growth performance in 2024, thanks to the wide product range and affordable pricing of these outlets.
Evolving consumer preferences make an omnichannel presence imperative to drive strong demand
Inflation has instilled a new mindset amongst Indian consumers, leading them to seek the best deals for their shopping needs in a bid to maximise their budget. As such, shoppers in the country are becoming used to making purchases through both offline and online channels, and understand which to use when.
What next for retail?
Retail in India is set for solid, steady current value growth over the forecast period, driven by favourable economic conditions and evolving lifestyle patterns. The Indian economy is expected to continue growing in the years ahead, which will lead to continued urbanisation, resulting in heightened private consumption, offering lucrative growth potential for retailers across the board in India.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Retail industry in India with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to the following key categories, where applicable:
- Convenience Stores
- Discounters
- Hypermarkets
- Supermarkets
- Traditional Grocery Retailers
- Apparel and Footwear Specialist Retailers
- Electronics and Appliance Specialist Retailers
- Health and Beauty Specialist Retailers
- Home and Garden Specialist Retailers
- Department Stores
- Variety Stores
- Warehouse Clubs
- Direct Selling
- Homeshopping
- Vending
If you're in the Retail industry in India, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Retail in India report includes:
- Analysis of key retail trends
- Detailed segmentation of offline and online retail sales
- Historic channel sizes (retail value sales, outlet counts, and selling space)
- Company and brand market shares (retail value sales and outlet counts)
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Retail in India?
- Which are the leading retailers in Retail in India?
- How are products distributed in Retail in India?
- How is the rise of e-commerce and the expansion of modern grocery retail impacting traditional retail?
- How significant are discounters and private label in India?
- To what extent are sales shifting towards digital channels?
- What is the long-term outlook for bricks-and-mortar?
- How is macroeconomic and political uncertainty affecting the retail industry?
- What types of retailers are seeing the fastest growth in digital sales?
- What is the future of retail?
Retail in India
Retail in 2024: The big picture
Price, and level of involvement in the buying process are leading parameters when choosing a retail channel
Evolving consumer preferences make an omnichannel presence imperative to drive strong demand
What next for retail?
Informal retail
Opening hours for physical retail
Seasonality
Diwali season
End of season sale
DISCLAIMER
Convenience Retailers in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Strategic consolidation, with the replacement of multiple small outlets with fewer high-performance stores
Micro-fulfilment centres transform urban stores into quick-commerce delivery hubs
24/7 service model captures late-night urban consumer demand for essentials
Integration of phygital retail models
Strategic quick-commerce alliances may convert store locations into a competitive delivery advantage
AI-driven virtual storefronts will create personalised shopping experiences
Supermarkets in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Weak consumer sentiment and high food inflation limit growth for supermarkets
Reliance Retail leads, driven by competitive price points and outlet expansion
Consumers chase discounted prices, which leads to a new marketing approach
Outlet expansion beyond major cities to support the growth of supermarkets
Wide product variety, quality, and shopping experience will give supermarkets an edge over traditional retail channels
Supermarkets will face strong competition from hypermarkets and quick-commerce
Hypermarkets in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Growth in hypermarkets driven by groceries amidst slowdown in sales of non-grocery merchandise
Wide range of products and expansion of retail footprint supports D-Mart’s leadership in hypermarkets
Demand for experiential shopping drives wider product portfolio for hypermarkets
Expansion of hypermarkets beyond urban areas key to drive strong growth
Loyalty programmes could help retain and expand consumer footfall
Competition set to intensify further, driven by expansion plans of major hypermarket chains and growing penetration of quick-commerce
Small Local Grocers in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Small local grocers dominates grocery retailing, driven by its wide reach, and continues to grow
Small local grocers faces dual competition, from modern grocery retailers, and quick-commerce players
Increasing price competition and high food inflation lead more consumers to switch channels
Semi-urban and rural areas will continue to be lucrative for small local grocers
Deep penetration of small local grocers and availability of offerings at entry price points will help withstand the growing competition
Nevertheless, evolving consumer behaviour and growing penetration of modern grocery retailers will create challenges
General Merchandise Stores in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Hyperlocal AI personalisation transforming shopping into a cultural experience
Changes at the top, and sustainability programmes become fundamental to business strategies
Private label becoming a strategic revenue driver for department stores
Strategic expansion into tier-2 and tier-3 markets set to unlock new growth potential
Regional retail chains will leverage their local expertise to challenge national players
Predictive AI systems might revolutionise inventory control and minimise retail waste
Apparel and Footwear Specialists in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Premium/affordable market bifurcation creates dual growth opportunities
Revival of indigenous textiles connects traditional craftsmanship with contemporary fashion
Emergence of quick-commerce in apparel and footwear retail: Transforming delivery expectations from days to minutes
The competition from e-commerce, and AI-powered hyper-personalisation
The rise of digital fashion and avatars in the metaverse, and the incorporation of technology in stores
Data-driven decision-making will revolutionise regional inventory
Appliances and Electronics Specialists in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Heatwave-driven growth accelerates demand for energy-efficient cooling solutions
Affordability and after-sales service drive customers to appliances and electronics specialists
Circular economy initiatives are attracting customers and transforming e-waste
Direct-to-consumer exclusive stores might elevate the brand experience beyond traditional retail
Rental options will attract young customers seeking flexibility without commitment
Premiumisation strategy will target environmentally-conscious consumers with smart, efficient technologies and drive value growth
Home Products Specialists in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Omnichannel integration transforming the browsing experience into a seamless purchasing journey
Home products specialists continues to see strong competition from e-commerce
Growth in pet ownership creates new market for premium products
Smart home technology displays might create interactive experiences that drive higher-value sales
Recurring revenue through pet care subscriptions, and the DIY trend set to drive growth
Ikea will continue to adapt its products to the local market to drive growth
Health and Beauty Specialists in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Omnichannel presence increasing in beauty specialists
Apollo Pharmacy and Medplus extend their lead in pharmacies, offering stronger competition to independent operators
Optical goods stores witnesses steady growth in demand, driven by evolving lifestyles
E-pharmacies to further penetrate, leading to greater competition for pharmacies
Offline-online integration to expand reach and coverage
Expansion of footprint of beauty specialists beyond larger urban areas holds key to driving strong growth
Direct Selling in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Health and beauty direct selling continues to dominate overall direct selling
Weak consumer sentiment and high food inflation limit discretionary spending, influencing the growth of direct selling
Players increasingly adopt a multi-channel approach, with a strategic focus on an online presence
Direct selling to benefit from self-employment and female empowerment opportunities
Loyalty programmes tailored to end consumers will help tackle growing competition from other retail channels
Diversification beyond traditional product range to offer opportunities for growth
Retail E-Commerce in India
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Grocery e-commerce drives growth, on the back of the rising penetration of quick-commerce
Walmart maintains its lead with Flipkart and Myntra despite growing competition
Speed of delivery and enhancing the user experience remain priorities
Retail e-commerce offers strong growth opportunities, driven by convenience, a wide product assortment, and better financing options
Competitive landscape set to intensify, with the entry of new brands, and government-backed ONDC platform
Promotional shopping festivals will remain a focus area to drive continued growth
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Retail
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- Convenience Stores
- Forecourt Retailers
- Supermarkets
- Hypermarkets
- Discounters
- Warehouse Clubs
- Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists
- Small Local Grocers
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- Department Stores
- Variety Stores
- Apparel and Footwear Specialists
- Appliances and Electronics Specialists
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- Home Improvement and Gardening Stores
- Homewares and Home Furnishing Stores
- Pet Shops and Superstores
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- Beauty Specialists
- Pharmacies
- Optical Goods Stores
- Health and Personal Care Stores
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- Bags and Luggage Specialists
- Jewellery and Watch Specialists
- Sports Goods Stores
- Traditional Toys and Games Stores
- Other Non-Grocery Retailers
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- Fashion Vending
- Health and Beauty Vending
- Appliances and Electronics Vending
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- Alcoholic Drinks Vending
- Hot Drinks Vending
- Soft Drinks Vending
- Tobacco Products Vending
- Foods Vending
- Home Products Vending
- Other Products Vending
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- Apparel and Footwear Direct Selling
- Personal Accessories Direct Selling
- Eyewear Direct Selling
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- Beauty and Personal Care Direct Selling
- Consumer Health Direct Selling
- Tissue and Hygiene Direct Selling
- Appliances and Electronics Direct Selling
- Drinks and Tobacco Direct Selling
- Foods Direct Selling
- Home Products Direct Selling
- Other Products Direct Selling
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- Apparel and Footwear E-Commerce
- Personal Accessories E-Commerce
- Eyewear E-Commerce
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- Beauty and Personal Care E-Commerce
- Consumer Health E-Commerce
- Tissue and Hygiene E-Commerce
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- Consumer Appliances E-Commerce
- Consumer Electronics E-Commerce
- Toys and Games E-Commerce
- Drinks and Tobacco E-Commerce
- Foods E-Commerce
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- Home Care E-Commerce
- Home and Garden E-Commerce
- Pet Care E-Commerce
- Other Products E-Commerce
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- First-Party (1P) Marketplace E-Commerce
- Third-Party (3P) Marketplace E-Commerce
- Grocery E-Commerce
- General Merchandiser E-Commerce
- Apparel and Footwear Specialist E-Commerce
- Appliances and Electronics Specialist E-Commerce
- Home Products Specialist E-Commerce
- Health and Beauty Specialist E-Commerce
- Leisure and Personal Goods Specialist E-Commerce
- Other E-Commerce Retailers
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Retail
Retail is the sale of new and used goods to consumers from a business for personal or household consumption from retail outlets, kiosks, market stalls, vending, direct selling and e-commerce. Retail is the aggregation of Retail Offline and Retail E-Commerce. Excludes specialist retailers of motor vehicles, motorcycles, vehicle parts. Also excludes fuel sales, foodservice sales, rental transactions, and wholesale sales (e.g. Cash and Carry). Sales value excluding or including VAT/Sales Tax. Retail also excludes the informal retail sector. Informal retailing is retail trade which is not declared to the tax authorities. Informal retailing encompasses (a) sales generated by unregistered and unlicensed retailers, i.e. retailers operating illegally, and (b) any proportion of sales generated by a registered and licensed retailer that is not declared to the tax authorities. Unregistered and unlicensed retailers operate predominantly (although not exclusively) as street hawkers or operate open market stalls, as these channels are harder for the authorities to monitor than permanent outlets. Activities in the illegal market, which is usually understood to refer to trade in illegal, counterfeit or stolen merchandise, are included within our definition of informal retailing. Activities in the “grey market”, which is usually understood to refer to trade in legal merchandise that is sold through unauthorized channels – for example cigarettes bought legally in another country, legally imported, but sold at lower prices than in authorized channels – will be included as informal retailing if no tax is paid on sale by the retailer. However if the retailer pays tax – for example on cigarettes bought legally in another country but sold at a lower price than standard – the sale is included within formal retail.
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This report originates from Passport, our Retail research and analysis database.
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