D2C

Why premium retailers are adding cafes to their stores

Shivani Verma

June 10, 2026 | 14 Min Read

Why premium retailers are adding cafes to their stores

June 10, 2026 | 14 Min Read

From Bombay Shirt Company’s ‘The Den’ stores to Kay Beauty’s tie-up with Blue Tokai, retailers are adding cafes and other experiences to make offline shopping more appealing. But the economics do not always work for everyone.

At first glance, Bombay Shirt Company’s latest flagship store, on Chennai’s Khader Nawaz Khan Road, one of the most expensive retail stretches in the city, looks like any other premium menswear outlet.

A dummy illustrating the “anatomy of a shirt” welcomes visitors right beside the counter at the entrance of the 2,500 sq ft outlet. But up a flight of stairs, tucked inside the store, lies something unexpected: a full-fledged coffee shop run by Kup Coffee Roasters, a speciality coffee brand.

Customers lounge on couches with cups of coffee as music plays in the background, and the space feels designed as much for hanging out as for shopping.

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