D2C brands hit top retail chain shelves

DMart, Nature's Basket and More Retail stocking new-age direct-to-consumer brands alongside FMCG majors

- Vaeshnavi Kasthuril

India's largest brick-and-mortar retail chains such as DMart, More Retail, and Nature's Basket are increasingly stocking new-age direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, expanding their assortments to cater to the evolving consumer preferences. Walk into a grocery or apparel chain, and chances are you'll spot emerging labels on the top shelves, right alongside established fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands.

Direct-to-consumer brands are companies that sell products directly to shoppers without relying solely on traditional distributors. Unlike legacy FMCG giants, depending on decades-old networks most D2C startups launch online before expanding into offline modern trade.