A NEW RETAIL RHYTHM

Inside India's coolest concept stores redefining retail IRL

- Words ARANYAA CHOWDHURY

Amid doom-scrolling and “add to cart” culture, a new wave of homegrown concept stores is reclaiming the art of shopping. These aren’t just stores — they're sensorial sanctuaries, miniature museums of material memory, and curated corners where community, craft, and curation collide. We toured the chicest stores around the country and asked the minds behind them: What does it mean to build a beautiful space in a digital-first world?

DOKI DOKI, MUMBAI

Once an abandoned ice factory, Doki Doki is now a cutting-edge concept space where fashion meets art and architecture. Designed by The Architecture Studio (TAS), the store features bold contrasts: Sculptural arches, a striking three-toned mural, and an innovative looped layout. “The rawness of the old warehouse, including a hoist for ice blocks, was worth preserving,” says TAS. Inside, arches guide movement, display garments, and create an evolving experience. The studio custom-built all the furniture, and the striped façade hand-painted by Mumbai sign painter Narayan Kadam grounds the space in local culture. “We wanted to blend the contemporary with the site’s history.”

KALGA BANARAS, VARANASI