Reliance Retail

Corporate brand

An Indian omnichannel retail company operating grocery, consumer electronics, fashion, lifestyle, convenience, wholesale, and digital commerce businesses.

Last updated August 25, 2026

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Overview

Reliance Retail is the retail business of Reliance Industries and one of India's largest organized retail enterprises. Established in 2006 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, it was created to build a large, integrated retail platform spanning essential goods, consumer products, apparel, electronics, home improvement, and digital commerce. Its expansion formed part of Reliance's broader strategy of linking physical distribution, private-label products, supply-chain infrastructure, telecommunications, and digital services. The company began with Reliance Fresh convenience and grocery stores, first opened in Hyderabad in November 2006. During its initial expansion, it developed a portfolio of specialized formats, including Reliance Digital for consumer electronics, Reliance Mart for hypermarkets, Reliance Trends for fashion, Reliance Jewels for jewellery, and Reliance Footprint for footwear. It also experimented with book and music retail, furniture, wholesale cash-and-carry, and other formats. This multi-format approach allowed Reliance Retail to serve different income groups and shopping occasions, from neighborhood food purchases to large-format shopping and branded fashion. Over time, the business shifted toward a combination of value retailing, branded retail, private labels, strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and online-to-offline commerce. In 2016, the company consolidated several supermarket and hypermarket formats under the Reliance Smart identity and launched AJIO, an online fashion platform. JioMart followed with a soft launch in late 2019 and a broader rollout in 2020, strengthening the connection between Reliance's digital ecosystem and its physical stores. JioMart's model has included direct online retail as well as connections with local merchants and the company's store network. Reliance Retail has expanded through partnerships and acquisitions as well as organic store growth. It acquired the international toy retailer Hamleys in 2019, entered a franchise partnership with 7-Eleven in 2021, and agreed to bring Gap products to India through a franchise arrangement in 2022. Its proposed acquisition of Future Group's retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehousing assets became entangled in litigation involving Future Group and Amazon and was abandoned in 2022. Reliance subsequently assumed control of a number of former Future Group locations after lease-payment problems and reopened some of them under Reliance formats. The business also operates through Reliance Retail Ventures and related subsidiaries, including Reliance Brands and Reliance Consumer Products. Its grocery operations sell products from major third-party fast-moving consumer-goods companies alongside private labels such as Good Life, Best Farms, Enzo, Mopz, Expelz, and Home One. Reliance Brands has developed or invested in fashion and luxury-brand relationships, while Reliance Consumer Products has pursued mass-market packaged goods, including the revival of Campa Cola. Reliance Retail remained privately held while attracting substantial strategic and financial investment. In 2020, investors including Silver Lake, KKR, GIC, and TPG acquired minority interests. In 2023, Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority also invested in the business. These transactions supported the company's expansion and reflected investor interest in India's organized retail and consumer markets. By 2023, the company reported a presence of more than 18,000 stores in approximately 7,000 Indian towns and more than 245,000 employees, according to the referenced Wikipedia material. Its current positioning combines broad physical reach, accessible pricing, private-label development, digital ordering, branded partnerships, and an increasingly integrated retail ecosystem. Reliance Retail is therefore best understood not as a single store chain but as a house of retail formats and consumer businesses operating under the Reliance umbrella.

History

Reliance Retail was formed in 2006 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries. At the company's 32nd annual general meeting in June that year, Mukesh Ambani described a plan to invest up to ₹25,000 crore in the new retail venture. The first Reliance Fresh convenience and grocery outlets opened in Hyderabad in November 2006. The launch marked Reliance's entry into organized consumer retail at a time when India's modern retail sector was expanding beyond traditional neighborhood stores. The company rapidly built a portfolio of retail formats. In 2007 it entered consumer electronics through Reliance Digital, hypermarkets through Reliance Mart, apparel through Reliance Trends, jewellery through Reliance Jewels, and footwear through Reliance Footprint. These formats gave the business exposure to both everyday consumption and discretionary spending. Reliance also explored furniture, books, music, wholesale distribution, and other categories, although not every experiment was retained. In 2008, Marks & Spencer established a 51:49 Indian joint venture with Reliance Retail to operate Marks & Spencer stores. Reliance Retail later entered wholesale cash-and-carry retail through Reliance Market in 2011. The company adjusted its portfolio in response to operating conditions and stakeholder preferences. In 2013 it discontinued non-vegetarian food retailing and closed more than 100 Reliance Delight meat and seafood outlets after opposition from shareholders, customers, and animal-rights activists. By 2014, it had also closed Reliance TimeOut book and music stores and Reliance Living furniture stores as management focused more heavily on value retail and e-commerce. A major format consolidation occurred in 2016, when Reliance Mart and Reliance Super were rebranded under the Reliance Smart name. That year the company also launched AJIO, an online fashion platform. The digital strategy later broadened through JioMart, which was soft-launched in December 2019 and expanded nationally during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. JioMart linked online ordering with Reliance's store, distribution, and local-merchant network and became a central component of the company's omnichannel strategy. Reliance Retail's expansion became more acquisition- and partnership-led from 2019 onward. It acquired the international toy retailer Hamleys in 2019. In 2020, it announced an agreement to acquire Future Group's retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehousing businesses for ₹24,713 crore. The proposed deal was contested in a long-running dispute involving Future Group and Amazon and was ultimately called off in April 2022. Reliance nevertheless took control of more than 200 former Future Group outlets after lease-payment failures and reopened locations under names including Smart Bazaar, Centro, and Fashion Factory. The company continued to add international and domestic brand relationships. In 2021, it partnered with 7-Eleven to franchise the convenience chain in India and opened the country's first 7-Eleven store in Mumbai. In 2022, it entered a similar arrangement with Gap. Reliance Retail also invested in the delivery company Dunzo and expanded its consumer-products activities. Reliance Industries acquired Campa Cola in 2022, and Reliance Consumer Products announced a relaunch of the soft-drink brand in 2023. Reliance Retail has remained unlisted while raising capital from global institutional investors. Silver Lake, KKR, GIC, and TPG acquired minority stakes in 2020. Qatar Investment Authority invested approximately $1 billion in 2023, followed later that year by an investment from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The retail group also includes businesses such as Reliance Brands and Reliance Consumer Products and has reported more than 45 subsidiaries and divisions. By 2023, the business had more than 18,000 stores in approximately 7,000 towns and over 245,000 employees, according to the referenced Wikipedia article. Its development has been defined by scale, format diversification, retail infrastructure, digital integration, private-label growth, and partnerships with international brands. In 2025, the company re-launched Shein in India through a local sourcing and distribution arrangement, illustrating its continuing effort to combine international brand access with India-focused operations.

2025
Shein returns to India through a Reliance partnership
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Retail re-launches Shein in India using a locally focused sourcing and retail arrangement.
2023
Campa Cola is relaunched
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Consumer Products reintroduces Campa Cola in selected Indian markets.
2022
Future Group transaction is abandoned
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
The proposed Future Group acquisition is called off after a prolonged legal dispute.
2022
Gap partnership is announced
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Retail enters a franchise arrangement to operate Gap's retail presence in India.
2021
First 7-Eleven store opens in India
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Retail and 7-Eleven open the first Indian 7-Eleven store in Mumbai under a franchise arrangement.
2020
JioMart expands during the COVID-19 lockdown
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
JioMart receives a broad rollout as lockdown conditions increase demand for online grocery ordering and delivery.
2020
Future Group acquisition is announced
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Retail announces a proposed acquisition of Future Group's retail-related businesses.
2019
Hamleys is acquired
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Retail acquires the international toy retailer Hamleys, broadening its branded specialty-retail portfolio.
2019
JioMart receives a soft launch
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance begins testing its online grocery service JioMart.
2016
Reliance Smart and AJIO are introduced
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Mart and Reliance Super are consolidated under Reliance Smart, while AJIO launches as an online fashion platform.
2013
Reliance Delight food format is closed
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
The company stops selling non-vegetarian food and closes its Reliance Delight meat and seafood stores.
2011
Reliance Market enters wholesale retail
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
The company launches its cash-and-carry wholesale format, Reliance Market.
2008
Marks & Spencer joint venture is formed
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Marks & Spencer and Reliance Retail establish a 51:49 joint venture for stores in India.
2007
Multi-format expansion begins
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Retail launches or expands into electronics, hypermarkets, apparel, jewellery, and footwear through specialized formats.
2006
Reliance Retail is established
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
Reliance Industries establishes Reliance Retail as a wholly owned subsidiary and announces a large planned investment in the business.
2006
First Reliance Fresh stores open
[1]Reliance Retailen.wikipedia.org
The first Reliance Fresh convenience and grocery stores are inaugurated in Hyderabad.

Products and positioning

Mass-market, multi-format and omnichannel retail with broad geographic coverage, value pricing, private labels, branded partnerships, and integration with Reliance's digital and physical infrastructure.

Grocery and convenience retail · 2006
Reliance Fresh
Reliance Fresh is the group's grocery and neighborhood retail format. It was the company's first major store concept and was designed for frequent purchases of food, household necessities, and everyday consumer products. The format helped establish Reliance Retail's physical presence in Indian towns and cities and remains part of its wider grocery portfolio.
Supermarket and hypermarket retail · 2016
Reliance Smart
Reliance Smart is the consolidated supermarket and hypermarket identity created from the earlier Reliance Mart and Reliance Super formats. It offers groceries, packaged foods, household supplies, and selected general merchandise. The format is positioned around broad assortment and value-oriented shopping and has also been used for former Future Group locations.
Consumer electronics · 2007
Reliance Digital
Reliance Digital is the group's consumer-electronics retail chain. Its assortment includes personal technology, home appliances, televisions, mobile devices, accessories, and related services. The chain gives Reliance Retail a specialist format for electronics while also connecting with the wider Reliance digital and telecommunications ecosystem.
Fashion apparel · 2007
Reliance Trends
Reliance Trends is a mass-market fashion format selling apparel and related lifestyle merchandise. It serves a broad Indian consumer base through physical stores and connections with the company's digital fashion operations. The format complements AJIO and the group's portfolio of Indian and international fashion brands.
Jewellery retail · 2007
Reliance Jewels
Reliance Jewels is the group's jewellery retail business. It was among the specialist formats introduced during the company's initial expansion and provides branded jewellery shopping through a dedicated retail network.
Footwear retail · 2007
Reliance Footprint
Reliance Footprint was created as a dedicated footwear retail format. It formed part of Reliance Retail's early effort to cover specific lifestyle categories through specialist stores rather than relying only on general merchandise outlets.
Online fashion retail · 2016
AJIO
AJIO is Reliance Retail's online fashion platform, launched in 2016. It offers apparel, footwear, accessories, and fashion-led merchandise through digital commerce. AJIO extends the group's fashion reach beyond stores and supports its broader omnichannel strategy.
Online grocery and omnichannel commerce · 2019
JioMart
JioMart is Reliance Retail's digital commerce platform, initially focused on groceries and everyday consumer products. It was soft-launched in late 2019 and expanded widely in 2020. The service connects online ordering with Reliance's stores, distribution assets, and participating local merchants.
Toys and specialty retail
Hamleys
Hamleys is an international toy-retail brand acquired by Reliance Retail in 2019. It adds a branded specialty-retail business to the group's portfolio and supports Reliance's strategy of operating recognized global consumer brands in India and other markets.
Packaged beverages · 2023
Campa Cola
Campa Cola is a legacy Indian soft-drink brand acquired by Reliance Industries and relaunched by Reliance Consumer Products in 2023. Its return represents the group's move beyond retail distribution into branded fast-moving consumer goods.

Marketing campaigns

2023Campa Cola relaunch
India
Reliance Consumer Products reintroduced Campa Cola in three flavours through selected stores, using Reliance Retail's distribution and retail reach to support the brand's return.
Outcome. The relaunch established Campa Cola as part of Reliance's developing consumer-products portfolio.
Source
2020JioMart national rollout
India
Reliance expanded JioMart from a soft launch into a broad online grocery service during the COVID-19 lockdown. The initiative promoted digital ordering and connected the company's retail infrastructure with consumers and local merchants.
Outcome. JioMart became a major component of Reliance Retail's omnichannel and digital-commerce strategy.
Source

Brand decisions

2025
Shein re-launch in IndiaProduct launch
Background
Shein's application had been blocked in India in 2020 amid government concerns about data privacy and security.
Action taken
Reliance Retail re-launched Shein in India through a local sourcing and operating partnership.
Aftermath
The arrangement restored Shein's commercial presence in India while emphasizing local production and market operations.
Source
2023
Campa Cola relaunchProduct launch
Background
After Reliance Industries acquired Campa Cola, the group's consumer-products arm sought to return the legacy beverage brand to the market.
Action taken
Reliance Consumer Products relaunched Campa Cola in three flavours through selected stores.
Aftermath
The move expanded Reliance's role from retailer and distributor into branded packaged consumer goods.
Source
2022
Gap franchise partnershipStrategy
Background
Reliance Retail continued to expand its branded fashion portfolio through international partnerships.
Action taken
The company entered an arrangement to bring Gap products and retail operations to India.
Aftermath
Gap became part of Reliance Retail's broader international fashion and lifestyle-brand strategy.
Source
2022
Investment in DunzoM&A
Background
Reliance Retail sought exposure to delivery and local-commerce capabilities that could complement its digital retail operations.
Action taken
The company invested $200 million in Dunzo for a reported 25.8 percent stake.
Aftermath
The investment linked Reliance Retail with a technology-enabled delivery platform.
Investment amount. $200 million investment (2022)
Source
2021
Entry into Indian 7-Eleven franchisingStrategy
Background
Reliance Retail sought to expand its convenience-store presence through an established international brand.
Action taken
The company entered a franchise partnership with 7-Eleven and opened the first Indian store in Mumbai.
Aftermath
The partnership added an international convenience format to Reliance Retail's Indian network.
Source
2020
Proposed acquisition of Future Group retail assetsM&A
Background
Reliance Retail sought to acquire Future Group's retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehousing operations as part of a major expansion of its physical retail footprint.
Action taken
The parties announced a proposed transaction valued at ₹24,713 crore.
Aftermath
The transaction was challenged in litigation involving Future Group and Amazon and was called off in April 2022. Reliance later took over a number of former Future Group outlets after lease-payment problems.
Proposed transaction value. (2020 proposed transaction)
- Amazon — Amazon pursued legal objections connected with its earlier arrangements involving Future Group.
Source
2016
Consolidation under the Reliance Smart formatStrategy
Background
Reliance Retail sought to simplify its supermarket and hypermarket portfolio.
Action taken
Reliance Mart and Reliance Super were rebranded under the Reliance Smart identity.
Aftermath
The consolidation created a clearer value-supermarket and hypermarket platform within the group's store network.
Source
2013
Exit from non-vegetarian food retailingStrategy
Background
Reliance Retail faced opposition from shareholders, customers, and animal-rights activists over its meat and seafood operations.
Action taken
The company stopped selling non-vegetarian food items and closed more than 100 Reliance Delight meat and seafood stores.
Aftermath
The decision narrowed the food-retail assortment and formed part of a broader effort to concentrate on value retailing and e-commerce.
Source

Recent events

2026-09-30
7-Eleven closes its remaining India stores[2]7-Eleven关闭其在印度的剩余门店econotimes.com
Reported: 2026-10-23
7-Eleven’s remaining 31 India stores were closed as of Sept. 30, 2026, ending Reliance Retail’s franchise operation.
Unconfirmed
Reliance Retail acquires majority stake in Addverb Technologies[3]Reliance Retail收购Addverb Technologies多数股权timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Reported: 2022-01-19
Reliance Retail acquired a 54% stake in robotics company Addverb Technologies for $132 million, becoming its largest shareholder. The article also reports that Reliance would hold 55.7% after a stock deal.
2022-01-06
Dunzo and Reliance Retail announce logistics and delivery partnerships[4]Dunzo 与 Reliance Retail 宣布物流及配送合作news.webindia123.com
Reported: 2022-01-06
Dunzo and Reliance Retail announced plans to enter business partnerships under which Dunzo would provide hyperlocal logistics for Reliance Retail stores and facilitate last-mile deliveries for the JioMart merchant network.
Unconfirmed
Reliance Retail acquires amante lingerie business[5]Reliance Retail收购amante内衣业务economictimes.indiatimes.com
Reported: 2021-11-12
Reliance Retail Ventures Limited acquired the retail lingerie businesses under the amante umbrella brand from MAS Brands, including the amante, Ultimo and every de by amante brands. The article says RRVL acquired a 100% stake in the amante brand; it does not specify the completion date.
2021-11-07
DMI Finance and Reliance Retail partner on digital financing[6]DMI Finance与Reliance Retail合作提供数字融资equitybulls.com
Reported: 2021-11-07
DMI Finance announced a partnership with Reliance Retail to provide digital financing options to Reliance Retail consumer electronics customers across India, starting with loans for the JioPhone Next.
2021-10-07
Reliance Retail and 7-Eleven announce India master franchise agreement[7]Reliance Retail与7-Eleven宣布印度主特许经营协议sentinelassam.com
Reported: 2021-10-07
Reliance Industries announced that it had entered into a master franchise agreement with 7-Eleven to open convenience stores across India. The first store was planned to open in Mumbai on October 9.
2021-07-30
Reliance Retail partners with Elephant Design on Puric Instasafe[8]Reliance Retail与Elephant Design合作开发Puric Instasafe品牌printweek.in
Reported: 2021-07-30
Elephant Design partnered with Reliance Retail on the retailer's Puric Instasafe personal and home care brand.
2021-07-16
Reliance Retail Ventures announces controlling-stake acquisition of Justdial[9]Reliance Retail Ventures宣布收购Justdial控股权indiatvnews.com
Reported: 2021-07-16
Reliance Retail Ventures Limited announced an acquisition of a controlling stake in Justdial for Rs 3,497 crore. The transaction remained subject to shareholder and other customary closing conditions and approvals.
2021-07
Unilever pilots Smart Fill in Mumbai[10]联合利华在孟买试点Smart Fillthehindu.com
Reported: 2021-07-20
Unilever’s Smart Fill in-store vending model began a pilot at Reliance Smart Acme Mall in Mumbai earlier in July. Set up in partnership with Reliance Retail, it lets customers refill homecare products rather than buy a new packet.
Unconfirmed
Reliance Retail acquires majority stake in Urban Ladder[11]Reliance Retail收购Urban Ladder多数股权freepressjournal.in
Reported: 2020-11-15
Reliance Retail Ventures acquired around 96 percent of online furniture marketplace Urban Ladder for Rs 182.12 crore, according to a stock exchange filing.

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