Think of scrolling through a streaming platform with hundreds of titles. You arrive looking for one thing, but a trailer catches your eye, a recommendation pulls you in, and suddenly you’re three episodes deep into something you didn’t plan to watch.
That’s the kind of discovery Broadway is bringing to physical retail.
At first glance, Broadway appears to be a carefully curated multi-brand space, bringing together beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands. But its real purpose goes deeper. For digital-first D2C brands, offline retail is often a high-stakes bet — expensive to set up, slow to scale, and difficult to experiment with. The leap from screen to storefront comes with real operational and financial friction.
Broadway changes that equation. By creating immersive, experience-led retail environments, it gives brands a low-friction way to meet customers offline, without the burden of running their own stores.
Broadway is closing the discovery gap by helping brands be found in the physical world the same way great content is discovered online, and turning first-time visitors into loyal, offline customers.
The Problem: D2C Brands Trapped Online
India’s retail boom favors e-commerce giants, yet physical spaces lag— stale, transactional, and ill-suited for Gen Z who scout via Instagram Reels. D2C brands explode digitally but hit walls offline: sky-high capex for stores, logistics nightmares, inventory risks, and zero storytelling space. Heat of quick commerce kills tactile trials, leaving most of featured brands at Broadway with no prior physical footprint. Without affordable entry points, these innovators miss impulse conversions and community bonds essential for loyalty.
Enter Broadway: Theatre of D2C Discovery
Founded in 2024 by retail veteran Vivek Biyani and Sankalp Kathuria alongside partners Rana Daggubati, Apurva Salarpuria, and Anarock, Broadway builds what digital brands need — plug-and-play experiential hubs blending content, commerce, and community.
This features two core innovations:
- Immersive Zones – Curated 25,000-45,000 sq ft playgrounds with live events, trial & sampling bars, personal shoppers, salons, lab grown diamonds, sneaker studios, and more.
- Flex Model – Brands pay Rs 50,000-200,000 monthly or revenue share fees covering rent, ops, logistics
With this, visibility soars, trials convert, and stores become destinations sparking unplanned buys.
How It’s Scaling
- 3 flagship stores live: Delhi’s Ambience Mall, Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills & Kopa Mall, Pune
- 30,000+ monthly footfalls powering discovery for 150-200 brands per site.
- Supporting D2C launches for leaders like Almost Gods, Nish Hair, Indie Wild, Cosmix, Ultrahuman via omnichannel bridges
By 2026, Broadway targets 5+ stores across top metros, electrifying Mumbai (Bandra), Gurgaon next.
Why Broadway Stands Apart
Unlike rigid malls or pop-up fairs, Broadway delivers full-stack retail theatre: French-designed layouts (by Malherbe, ex-Dior), and hybrid tech fusing in-store vibes with online carts. Over 75% partner brands debut offline here, thriving on low-risk trials that boost top-of-funnel buzz.
It aligns with India’s $100B+ D2C surge, enabling city-hopping without overheads while consumers vibe in “Shop, Vibe, Tribe” ecosystems. Sustainable rotations make growth agile, mirroring WeWork for retail.
Impact for Stakeholders: Who Wins with Broadway?
- D2C Brands – Offline testing at 1/10th cost, storytelling drives 2x conversions, seamless omnichannel scale.
- Consumers – Impulse magic: walk-ins for curiosity exit with bags, fueled by events and trials absent online.
- Malls & Retailers – Footfall magnets revitalizing spaces with fresh, experiential draws.
- Cities – Urban hubs fostering community, reducing e-only isolation in consumption hotspots.
Broader Retail Goals: From Digital to Omnichannel
India eyes $2T retail by 2030, with experiential formats key to offline revival. Broadway accelerates this:
- Dynamic mixes cut staleness, mirroring social feeds physically.
- Tech integrations lower barriers, unlocking Tier II/III via metro proofs.
- Gruhas investment fuels hybrid models blending physical pull with digital ease.
The Vision: Beyond Stores
Broadway isn’t just retail—it’s the content-to-commerce engine powering D2C’s physical leap.
Gruhas backs ventures reshaping consumption; Broadway exemplifies this in media & retail, turning online buzz into tangible tribes.
Broadway isn’t just showcasing brands. It’s spotlighting India’s retail renaissance, D2C resilience, and experiential urban commerce.