BigBasket opens its first physical store 'Fresho' in Bengaluru

Online grocery retailer BigBasket has opened its first physical store in Bengaluru earlier this week under the brand name- Fresho. ‘Fresho’ is used by BigBasket for its private label products in the online store. The venture marks e-grocers' first step into the omni-channel space, which is dominated by the likes of Reliance Retail.

Tata Digital had acquired a majority stake in BigBasket earlier this year. Tata has tasked BigBasket with building a unified supply chain and logistics network. Grofers has been following the franchise model for its dark stores for a while.

While this is the first physical store for BigBasket, Grofers has been following the franchise model for its dark stores for a while. Other notable e-grocers including Swiggy Instamart and Dunzo also have their own dark stores.

BigBasket co-founder VS Sudhakar told all company employees that the store in Bengaluru’s Basaveshwar Nagar has been open to customers since October 25.

Sudhakar said in the email that opening the store is an “extremely critical, strategic initiative.” The store is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. However, no BigBasket or Fresho signage has yet been installed at the store.

Sudhakar’s email also claimed that, even without the signage, the store has had over 100 walk-ins and approximately 80 orders each day since opening.

India’s e-grocery market is expected to be attractive for the next few years with more than 25% of the growth in the organized grocery segment poised to come from e- commerce, according to the latest report by Kearney.