Smytten, a top D2C discovery platform in India, just launched its fourth experience store in Gandhinagar, near GIFT City, which is becoming a big business center. This move is a key moment for D2C retail because it mixes the ease of online shopping with real-world interaction. The goal is to learn more about what consumers want and help D2C businesses grow in a smarter way.
Smytten, created by Siddhartha Nangia and Swagat Sarangi, has been connecting online and offline brand discovery for D2C brands in India for years. The new store is like a Consumer Lab where consumers and brands can meet, learn, and create things together. Consumers can find and get to know D2C brands, while brands can see what consumers like, how they buy, and how they react to products. This info can help brands plan their D2C strategies.
This growth fits with what’s coming in the D2C market around 2025, where being present everywhere is very important for keeping customers loyal. Smytten plans to use these physical centers as places to research and get information. By mixing new ideas in the D2C supply chain with great consumer experience, the company is changing what direct-to-consumer means in India: data, depth, and discovery.
Smytten has over 1,500 premium D2C brands on its platform, making it a good place for D2C startups to start. They can sample products, get data, and connect with people, which boosts D2C sales. Adding physical experience labs helps this system by allowing brands to really see how D2C consumers in India act.
Opening in Gandhinagar also makes Smytten’s D2C plan stronger, which is a common plan for D2C brands that are growing fast. Consumers can easily go from browsing online to trying things out in person, which is becoming the norm for D2C retail in India. Being near GIFT City, a growing financial area, shows that Smytten wants to reach consumers who are wealthy, urban, and ambitious.
In India’s busy D2C industry, Smytten’s growth shows how local startups are growing in a stable way through new ideas, not just spending a lot of money. Although the company has raised funds before, it wants to focus on making D2C growth profitable and giving real benefits to brands and consumers. This is something that VC-backed D2C brands and investors like because they want to see businesses grow based on data.
By making its retail stores into experience-based consumer labs, Smytten is helping D2C brands grow in India in a way that lasts. This lines up with what D2C investors think, which is that the next successful D2C businesses in India will be brands that balance personalization, purpose, and performance.
As India’s D2C world grows into one of the most active consumer markets, Smytten’s move is more than just growing. It’s a sign of things to come: a future where finding brands is about experiences, backed by data, and very human. In this system, every experience gives insights, and every insight makes better experiences. That’s true innovation for D2C in India.
