India’s mall boom is heading beyond big-city limits

India's retail expansion is expanding beyond its largest cities, with secondary-tier markets adding over three times as much Grade A shopping center space compared to first-tier cities since 2020, according to a Knight Frank and CII report. Tier-2 cities added 5.9 million square feet of Grade A retail space during the same period, while tier-1 cities added about 1.9 million sq ft.

The shift is driven by difficulties in finding suitable spaces in established markets, where prime locations are scarce, rents are high, and competition is intense. Knight Frank CEO Devarajan Iyer notes that while metros remain crucial, their higher costs make sustained profitable operations challenging. Tier-2 markets have a smaller organized retail base, providing room for new supply, and Grade A properties now account for 61% of their shopping center stock.

The rise of e-commerce has boosted branded retail confidence in these markets, with supply gaps particularly noticeable in high-quality malls. Shriram PM Monga of SRED Global cites high rentals, limited quality space, and intense competition as primary expansion challenges in established markets. Tier-2 cities offer a larger space for modern retail infrastructure to meet consumer demands, though over 80% of Lifestyle International's revenue still comes from metros and tier-1 cities.

Consumer behavior is shifting, with 1,720 international brand stores now in tier-2 markets, and an estimated 60%-70% of India's 410 million active internet users residing in tier-2 and tier-3 markets.