India’s physical retailers are being pushed to turn footfall into repeat loyalty in 2026

With national and international retailers’ leasing activity up 48% year on year, stores will need to deliver discovery, convenience and value—not just transactions. Organised retail’s expansion into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities strengthens the case for omnichannel, repeat-visit-led formats.

— Source publishedThu, 24 Sept, 2026, 11:53 IST·First seen Thu, 24 Sept, 2026, 11:57 IST·Source IMAGES Business of Fashion

What happened

footfall · India-focused retail analysis argues physical stores must drive value, discovery, convenience and repeat visits. It highlights 48% year-on-year

Key facts

  • National and international retailers' leasing activity increased 48% year-on-year

What changed

India-focused retail analysis argues physical stores must drive value, discovery, convenience and repeat visits. It highlights 48% year-on-year leasing growth and says organised retail expansion into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities will reinforce omnichannel store relevance.

Why this matters

Use the 48% rise in retail leasing to prioritise stores that convert discovery into repeat visits through localised assortments, seamless omnichannel fulfilment and loyalty-led value propositions.

What to watch

  • Same-store sales growth versus net new store openings and retail leasing growth.
  • Repeat-visit frequency, loyalty-member share of sales and customer acquisition cost by city tier.
  • Mall occupancy, rental escalations, tenant churn and incentive levels in new retail corridors.
  • Store-originated digital orders, click-and-collect adoption and return-to-store volumes.
  • Consumer discretionary spending, inflation and value-category share gains.