The New Shop Revolutionizes India's Convenience Commerce with 24/7 Omni-Channel Retail
In the bustling local trains of Mumbai, where millions navigate ad-hoc hours and unpredictable schedules, Aastha Almast found herself longing for a standardized, hygienic, and 24/7 shopping experience. She saw a massive gap: while the world had 7-Eleven, Circle K, and FamilyMart, India—the youngest country with increasingly "adult hours"—relied on fragmented, unorganized kirana stores that closed just when life got busy. This realization birthed The New Shop, India's first and largest 24/7 omni-channel convenience commerce brand.
Co-founded with her brother Charak Almast and Mani Dev Gyawali, The New Shop is more than just a retail store; it is a technology-first solution to the problem of standardized access across the country. From residential neighborhoods to mass transit hubs like airports, railway stations, and gas stations, the brand is redefining what it means to shop "at your convenience."
What is Convenience Commerce?
Convenience Commerce refers to the purchase of products or services that are intended for consumption within the first hour of purchase. Whether it's a late-night craving for snacks, a sudden need for medicine, or even instant services like ATM and printing, convenience commerce solves for quick and standardized access nearest to the customer.
Disrupting the "Nine Percent" Modern Retail Barrier
Aastha highlights a startling statistic: modern retail penetration in India is just nine percent. The remaining 91% is unorganized. While kirana stores are staples, they have limitations in variety, standardization, and operating hours. The New Shop bridges this gap by offering over 2,500 SKUs—including grocery, household care, personal care, and even freshly prepared food—all under one roof, 24 hours a day.
"We are solving the problem of true Bharat," Aastha explains. "We are as popular in Rohtak, Agra, and Meerut as we are in Delhi. Quick access isn't just a metro problem; it's an Indian problem."
The 15-Day Store: Modular Innovation
Traditional retail is notoriously slow and asset-heavy. To scale at an exponential pace, The New Shop completely re-engineered the store construction process. By treating a store like a "mass-manufactured product" built in a factory, they reduced construction time to less than 15 days and slashed Capital Expenditure (CapEx) by 70% compared to typical retailers.
Scaling at Speed: The New Shop Blueprint
- Modular Construction: Stores are prefabricated in factories, allowing for assembly on-site in as little as 10-15 days.
- Hyper-Local Siting: Strategic placement in high-visibility, captive audience locations like gas stations and railway stations.
- In-House Tech Stack: Everything from inventory management to the Point of Sale (POS) system (built for just ₹10,000) is developed in-house.
- Franchise-Partner Model: Scaling through business partners who share in the revenue and local operations.
The Mumbai Local Epiphany and the "Accidental" Entrepreneur
Aastha describes herself as an "entrepreneur by accident." With a background spanning economics, fashion management, and finance, she was once told by an HR consultant that she was "too unfocused" for a traditional corporate role. That lack of focus was actually a multi-talented entrepreneurial mindset waiting for the right problem to solve.
That problem appeared at the Anand Vihar Railway Station. "In our struggling days in Mumbai, picking up a juice or water from unorganized retail was unhygienic and non-standardized. We longed for the 7-Eleven experience," she recalls. When her brother Charak called her to start up, they didn't just want to build a business; they wanted to build a national utility.
Zero-Penny Customer Acquisition
In an era where eCommerce companies bleed money on customer acquisition, The New Shop relies on its physical presence. A 24-hour store with bright, flashing lights in a high-traffic area acts as its own billboard. This hyper-local nature has resulted in 10% of their customers visiting or ordering daily, and over 58% ordering at least once a week.
By marrying the physical experience with a digital loyalty app (which crossed 100,000 downloads in just 45 days), they've created a "sticky" ecosystem where customers don't just shop; they rely on the brand.
Beyond Products: Service Integration
The New Shop is evolving into a service hub. They were the first in India to launch instant printing services at stores, and they've integrated instant ATMs, car washes, and even clean toilet services at highway locations, making the store a multi-purpose stop for the modern traveler.
Future Vision: 2,000 Stores for Bharat
With 70 stores opened in their first 18 months, Aastha and her team have set an audacious target: 700 stores in the next 18 months and a long-term goal of 2,000 stores. Their strategy involves deep partnerships with Indian Railways, gas stations, and residential complexes to ensure that no matter where you are in India, "Convenience" is just around the corner.
— Aastha Almast, Co-founder, The New Shop
About the Guest
Aastha Almast is the Co-founder of The New Shop. A multi-faceted professional with an background in Economics (Hindu College), Fashion Management (NIFT), and Finance (University of Iowa), she is a pioneer of "Convenience Commerce" in India. Prior to The New Shop, she was involved in the gaming industry and diverse retail ventures. She is recognized as one of India's leading women entrepreneurs, disrupting the traditional retail landscape with technology and modular innovation.