Lindt plans 20 exclusive stores in India over next 2.5 years
VTC Group will open 11 outlets across north and west India, building on its distribution network of around 100,000 stores as the Swiss chocolatier expands its retail footprint.
INDIA – Swiss chocolatier Lindt plans to open close to 20 exclusive stores in India over the next two-and-a-half years, expanding its direct retail presence as it targets growth in the country’s premium chocolate market.
VTC Group, which manages Lindt’s distribution across north and west India, has been tasked with opening 11 outlets in the two regions. The initial expansion will focus on Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), followed by Chandigarh and Ahmedabad.
“We are mandated to open close to 20 stores in the country in the next two-and-a-half years. In our territory, north and west, we are scheduled to open 11 stores,” said Akshay Verma, managing director of VTC Group.
The rollout will depend on the availability of suitable retail locations and individual store performance. Lindt opened its first retail outlet in India in Delhi last month. The approximately 1,100-square-foot store offers more than 500 stock-keeping units (SKUs), including Lindor chocolate balls in 17–18 flavours.
The company expects to expand the Lindor range to 25 flavours by December.
Verma said the company would assess the commercial viability of each outlet before deciding on its expansion pace.
“Each store, when we open it, has to make commercial sense for us. It is too soon to give a number because, if a store gets bigger, the unit economics will change,” he said.
The retail expansion builds on VTC Group’s five-year relationship managing Lindt’s distribution across north and west India. Its distribution network reaches approximately 100,000 stores.
VTC also distributes products for brands including Procter & Gamble, Cello, Fazer and Royal Dance. Its operations cover order-taking, deliveries, returns and damage-related issues across the supply chain.
Verma said the group’s distribution experience would support its retail plans, particularly given the handling requirements of premium chocolate products.
“We understand India as a landscape, we understand Lindt as a brand, and we understand the logistics and infrastructure and the cold chain required to handle a sensitive product like Lindt,” he said.
VTC Group plans to finance the retail expansion through its balance sheet and existing financial institutions, without external equity funding at this stage.
The company will determine the pace of investment based on store-level performance and the availability of commercially viable locations, as Lindt develops its exclusive retail network in India over the coming years.
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