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Croma has grown from 170 to 570 stores, says Shibashish Roy, who argues offline retail is not dead
Our read
Croma will more likely than not keep growing its store network beyond 570 while building Edge and quick commerce on top of it.
For operators
Croma's network has grown from 170 to 570 stores while Shibashish Roy builds the next phase around Edge, quick commerce and a consumer-first strategy, so rival electronics retailers should treat stores as part of a wider omnichannel play rather than a legacy cost.
Watch
Store count past the 570 reported, at the next annual results, would mean Croma's expansion is continuing and rivals and mall landlords face more competition for space.
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Who is opening stores most aggressively?The report,
Croma is reshaping electronics retail with Edge, quick commerce and a consumer-first strategy. Shibashish Roy discusses how these approaches fit into the next retail growth phase.
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What it means for the format
With 570 stores and a push into Edge and quick commerce, Croma is a benchmark competitor and a possible channel partner for consumer electronics brands and delivery platforms seeking offline reach.
Next on the rollout
- Quick-commerce delivery launched in new cities for Croma
- Details of what Edge covers and how many stores it reaches
- Reliance Digital or other rivals announcing new formats or store targets
- Sales per store or like-for-like growth disclosed in Tata group filings
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Croma is likely to keep opening stores beyond 570, weighted toward cities where it is under-represented.
- Expect Croma to extend quick-commerce delivery from its stores to more neighbourhoods, using the network as fulfilment points.
- Reliance Digital may answer with its own store and same-day delivery pushes in overlapping cities.
- Electronics brands are likely to give Croma early or exclusive launches and in-store promotions in return for its reach.
- Mall landlords may offer Croma larger anchor-style spaces as its store count grows.
The counter-case
The case against this reading — not reported by the source.
The headline is a store count, not evidence of a healthy business. Going from 170 to 570 stores is a claim by an executive who has every reason to say offline retail is not dead. The signal gives no revenue, same-store sales, profit per store, or payback period. Fast rollouts, especially into smaller formats, can lower sales per store, cannibalise nearby outlets, and push up rent and inventory costs. Consumer electronics is also exposed to online marketplaces, brand-owned stores and quick commerce, all competing on price and delivery speed. Pivoting to quick commerce suggests offline alone may not be enough, which undercuts the 'offline is not dead' framing. The 170 → 570 figure may also flatter the picture if it mixes store formats or runs over a long period. Treat this as a PR narrative until the unit economics are disclosed.
The source
First seen