Swiggy’s rapid-delivery service Instamart has launched a unique offline experience store in Gurugram, representing a novel approach as the quick-commerce sector develops and customer buying habits change.

The small experiential outlet in the National Capital Region enables customers to personally engage with and evaluate specific products available on the Instamart platform. The shop offers a narrow selection of approximately 100 to 200 stock-keeping units (SKUs) — considerably less than the 15,000 to 20,000 SKUs usually found in Instamart’s dark store network.

In contrast to traditional retail formats, the initiative aims to offer a practical touchpoint for consumers to examine fresh produce, pulses, newly launched products, and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands prior to making a purchase, rather than indicating a complete omnichannel transition for Instamart. The outlet functions under the Instamart brand and is managed by vendors, akin to the company’s dark stores.

The shift occurs during a period of significant growth and innovation in India's quick commerce industry, where firms are trying out new formats, delivery methods, and strategies for consumer engagement.

Instamart has been leading this movement, growing swiftly in recent times; its network extended to over 100 cities throughout India by early 2025, catering to millions of customers with instant deliveries in minutes.

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Industry experts suggest that these experiential venues may help connect the ease of digital shopping with the exploration of physical products, providing customers with confidence—especially for fresh and perishable items—that can be difficult to assess online.

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Currently, Instamart's Gurugram store is still in a pilot phase, and the company has not yet determined if it will expand the format or keep improving it based on customer feedback and operational insights.

The initiative aligns with Swiggy's wider strategic efforts in quick commerce, which involve substantial funding to support growth, ongoing diversification of product range, dark store development, and possible independent services under the Instamart brand.

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As quick commerce progresses beyond conventional fast delivery, hybrid formats such as experiential stores might increasingly influence how urban shoppers find, engage with, and decide to buy daily products.