By: N Jayalakshmi
Last updated : August 28, 2025 4:28 pm
Rapsap, which is all set to launch its 5th flagship store at The Walk, Hiranandani Estate, Thane, aims to make a winning formula of the hybrid essential supermarket model, catering to customers’ need for a premium physical store, along with the speed and convenience of online delivery.
The Indian retail space is possibly the most dynamic in the world – constantly evolving and adapting, making room for every new format and innovation that comes in the wake of new changes in customer behaviour, evolving new brand needs to connect with their target audience, and continuous shifts in real estate dynamics.
Rapsap, a new player in the retail space, positioned as the ‘hybrid essential supermarket’;has carved a niche for itself with a distinct retail format that caters to emerging customer needs.
“The Indian essentials retail market is at an inflection point -- customers want the trust andexperience of a premium physical store, but also the speed and convenience of onlinedelivery. Traditional Kiranas offer proximity,but lack assortment and experience. Quickcommerce offers speed, but limited SKUs and no brand connection,” says Siddhesh T. Ghuge,Founder & CEO, Rapsap,throwing light on the gap that Rapsap aims to bridge with its positioning as a hybrid supermarket store.
Rapsap, which launched its first store in Mumbai in 2023 at the Lodha Palava City in Mumbai, spread across 2500 sq ft, has been quietly expanding and is now all set to launch its 5th flagship store of5500 sq feet at The Walk, Hiranandani Estate, Thane. The retail companyessentially offers a premium in-store shopping experiencesupported by its own 10-minute delivery app, aiming to create loyalty and repeat purchase inhigh-density, high-income communities.
The company is partnering with a mix of category leaders and emerging premium brands, including FMCG majors for core essentials (Nestlé, ITC, HUL, etc.), fresh produce and dairy suppliers for quality and consistency, specialty brands like Häagen-Dazs for exclusive in-store café experiences, and regional and D2C brands.
Unique Retail Proposition
The Rapsap stores are spread across 2,000–6,000 sq. ft.as premium essential supermarkets inside and aroundtop-tier residential townships. Explaining theUSP of the model, Siddhesh says, “The focus is on offering high-quality ambience, category signage, curated product mix,and seamless integration with our own delivery app for 10-minute fulfilment, besides the in-store café and fresh bakery to increase dwell time and daily visits. We don’t compete on deep discounting; our edge is location exclusivity,assortment breadth, loyalty benefits, and tech-enabled service. Kiranascan’t matchthe experience; mass MT chains can’t match the proximity and hyperlocalconnection.”
“To maximise partner ROI, we’re launching Rapsap Ads, an integrated ad solutionwith campaigns running inside our stores on aisle and shelf screens, and on our app.This helps brands spend wisely, target locally, and move inventory faster,” adds Siddhesh.
Addressing the FMCG challenge
With quick commercefast gaining traction, there has been a discernible shift in the way FMCG brands approach their retailand in-store visibility strategy.Elaborating on this, Siddheshsays, “Yes, FMCG brands now value instant brand presence + quick last-mile access. They arerethinking planograms, POS visibility, and retail media investments to work for both offlineand online shoppers.”
Accordingly, Rapsap is offering a model that solves two challenges FMCG brands face, as Siddhesh informs:
“With rapsap Ads, we take it a step further, letting brands target by store, location, and customer behaviour, both physically and digitally,” Siddhesh further adds.
Adapting to changing shopper behaviour
Rapsap’s retail strategy, which was driven by FMCG brands’ evolving new challenges, also stems from the shifts in shopper expectations.
Sharing some key observations here, Siddhesh lists the following:
Shift to premium: More shoppers opting for healthier, organic, and branded variantsin staples and snacks.
Impulse purchase via café/bakery: Cross-category sales grow when food &beverage is part of the store.
Convenience-driven loyalty: Shoppers are more loyal to stores that combinepremium experience + fast delivery + loyalty rewards
Higher expectations for personalised service: Driving investment in conciergeordering and AI-based suggestions.
Investing in front-end tech
Much of the evolving shopper expectation also necessitate faster adoption of technology to improve their operational efficiency and shopper experiences.Sharing Rapsap’s investments in experiential and operational tech, Siddhesh lists down the following:
AI-based concierge service (“Rapsap Concierge”), allowing customers to placeorders via call or WhatsApp, backed by personalisedassistance
AI-powered checkout for seamless, faster in-store purchases
Digital shelf labels for dynamic pricing and real-time offers
In-store kiosks for product discovery and loyalty sign-ups
AI-driven data accuracy and operational optimisation in supply chain, improvingstock rotation and minimising wastage.
Partnerships to enhance the store space
While tech evolves as an important factor in enhancing the store experience, other elements such as store design, lighting, store fixtures, etc., that have always played a key role in elevating the overall store environment and shopper experience, will continue to play their part in brick and mortar retail space. Siddhesh agrees, “Absolutely. We see store design and experience as a key differentiator. We partner with:
There’sanother integral factor that can make or break a store experience, and that’s people, or the store staff. As Siddhesh says, “We believe that our people are our strongest asset. From cleaners to delivery executives tostore managers, we ensure they are incentivised through performance rewards and evenequity allotments for long-term wealth creation.Our delivery executives are full-time employees, not gig workers, this improves servicequality, builds loyalty, and reduces attrition.”
Summing up the Rapsap vision, Siddhesh says, “Our goal is to build a best-in-class workingculture with negligible attrition and strong ownership at every level.” That’s an apt goal, considering that the performance of every store ultimately depends on an organisation powered by a common vision and the right team culture.