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The retail rulebook is undergoing a profound transformation. Retail , what was once a play of capital, real estate, and product margins has evolved into a tech-driven, customer-first, and franchise-led ecosystem. At the recent Franchise India Startup Summit 2025, leaders from Raymond, Reliance Retail, Tanishq, and Bugatti Shoes came together to share how they are rewriting the rules of scalability in this new era.
Rethinking Scale: It’s No Longer Just Numbers
Retail scale today is not about opening the most stores, it’s about opening the right stores in the right places, with the right customer experience.
“For us, scale means reaching every consumer segment—from a daily wage driver to a CEO—with brands like Raymond Ready to Wear, ColorPlus, Park Avenue, and Ethnix. We’re present in over 650 cities with 1,700+ stores,” said Akash Srivastava, National Head, BD &Real Estate Expansion, Raymond Limited.
“At Reliance, scale is not just geographic, it’s ecosystem-wide. From empowering local vendors with tech to enabling fashion retail in Tier IV towns, we’ve made scaling inclusive,” added Satish P., VP, Franchising & Real Estate Operations, Reliance Retail.
For Tanishq, scale is omnichannel. “We’ve grown our online business 3.5X in the last four years and built digital-first teams focused purely on online-to-offline conversions,” noted Krishnan Padmanabhan, Lead-Retail- Mega Channel, Tanishq
Bugatti Shoes is approaching India with a curated strategy. “Even 10–15 stores is scale for us, if they deliver premium brand experiences,” said Sandip Baksi, CEO, Nuvora Retail
.
Franchising: The Engine Driving Sustainable Growth
Franchising has emerged as the most scalable and localized route to retail expansion.
“Raymond Shop is India’s largest franchise-led retail brand with 1,150+ franchise stores. Every franchise has to be profitable from Day 1—there’s no other way,” said Akash.
Satish emphasized Reliance’s regional franchise approach: “We work with local partners who understand the cultural and consumption patterns of their areas, hyper-localization is key.”
At Tanishq, where 90% of stores are franchised, omnichannel readiness is now a prerequisite. “Franchisees must now understand digital conversion metrics as deeply as footfalls,” Krishnan added.
Physical Retail: The Soul of the Brand Experience
Despite the rise of e-commerce, physical stores remain central to brand engagement.
“Our stores are now service nodes fulfilling online orders, providing in-store personalization, and becoming brand hubs,” said Satish.
“At Raymond, a shirt is not just fabric, it’s tradition, celebration, craftsmanship. That emotion can only be experienced in-store,” Akash pointed out.
Tanishq’s large-format stores are designed as immersive spaces, offering everything from heritage jewelry zones to laser engraving services. “These are experiences the digital world can’t replicate,” Krishnan noted.
Omnichannel: A Strategic Imperative
Retailers are now building truly hybrid models, blending online data with offline experience.
“Our store expansion is driven by where online demand is coming from. It’s data-first, not gut-first,” said Akash.
“In metros, customers want 10-minute delivery. In Tier II cities, they’re okay with 4–6 hours—as long as service is great. Expectations vary and we build accordingly,” added Satish.
