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Blinkit has scaled its dark store footprint aggressively over the last six quarters, rising from 383 stores in 1QFY24 to 1,816 stores by 2QFY26 - a nearly 5× expansion.
Quarterly additions peaked at 294 new stores in 4QFY25, driven by expansion into Tier-2 cities and diversification beyond essentials into categories like beauty, electronics, and gifting.
This rapid rollout underpins Blinkit’s strategy to strengthen delivery density, improve fulfillment speed, and capture demand across new consumption occasions.
The company has also revised its store target upward - now aiming to reach 2,100 dark stores by December 2025, compared to its earlier guidance of 2,000 and 3,000 by March 2027.
What It Means
- Network-Led Growth: Blinkit’s expansion strategy mirrors its transition from a niche urban player to a nationwide quick commerce network. The platform’s ability to sustain order volumes and optimize per-store efficiency depends on how effectively these new stores ramp up utilization.
- Operational Maturity Emerging: After an aggressive addition phase in FY25, store growth is now moderating (~270 new stores in 2QFY26) — signaling a shift from footprint expansion to unit economics and delivery optimization.
- Beyond Essentials: The scale-up aligns with Blinkit’s category play — capturing impulse and convenience-driven demand in beauty, gifting, and small electronics.
- Strategic Priority: A denser store base improves customer reach and lowers average delivery times — key levers in competing with Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and BigBasket Now.
