Quick commerce unlocking new sales layers for consumer brands

Direct-to-consumer online brands should consider venturing into offline retail as soon as they hit the ₹100-crore mark to prevent stagnation of revenues and open up sales channels, said Swati Kulkarni, director at early-stage venture capital firm Fireside Ventures.

- Sowmya Ramasubramanian

"At ₹100-crore scale, brands should consciously think of going offline. I'm not suggesting bombarding the general trade channel with your products, but start small. Try it out in a city or in a small cluster and see how it is working," Kulkarni said during a panel discussion at the Mint India Investment Summit 2025.

However, scaling offline retail is very different online as it requires clarity and sharpness of stock-keeping units, he added.

"It is very important for brands to make note of what is really selling. In quick commerce and e-commerce, it doesn't cost much to keep listing products, but in offline retail it will cost shelf space."