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Reliance Retail has initiated a pilot for a high-tech search and discovery platform across its major apparel formats, including Trends and Yousta. Revealed on February 16, 2026, at the Retail Leadership Summit in Mumbai, this initiative utilizes in-store QR codes to unlock a digital interface where customers can navigate vast inventories and receive personalized product recommendations tailored to their unique preferences. By integrating real-time preference mapping into the physical store journey, the retailer aims to recapture market share from pure-play e-commerce rivals. Damodar Mall, CEO, Grocery Retail, stated that the objective is to bring the store and online experiences closer, providing "context-driven journeys." This model is slated for a wider rollout to the Smart Bazaar chain later this year, potentially setting a new benchmark for 5G-enabled retail environments.

Navigating margin pressure with technological integration

The pilot serves as a strategic response to narrowing core retail margins, which moderated to 8% in Q3 FY26 from 8.6 per cent a year earlier. While Reliance Retail reported robust gross revenue of Rs 97,605 crore for the December quarter - an 8.1 per cent Y-o-Y increase - escalating competition from quick-commerce giants has forced a shift toward higher operational efficiency. The integration push is part of a broader infrastructure upgrade that has seen the firm operationalize over 600 dark stores to support sub-30-minute deliveries through JioMart. With a registered customer base now exceeding 378 million, the company is leveraging its massive scale to penetrate Tier-II and Tier-III cities where digital discovery acts as a primary sales funnel. This tech-first approach is projected to drive a 12.8 per cent CAGR for the broader Indian retail sector through 2034, positioning the conglomerate as an agile, AI-native ecosystem.

India’s largest retailer, Reliance Retail operates nearly 20,000 stores across apparel, electronics, and grocery. With 378 million registered customers, the firm is aggressively scaling its omnichannel presence through AJIO and JioMart. Following a steady Q3 FY26 revenue of Rs 97,605 crore, its growth focus remains on AI-native store formats and deep-tier market penetration.

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