Cafes and C-Stores on the up in India

Bharat Petroleum plans to open four dozen BeCafe outlets at strategic retail locations. The company launched its first BeCafe outlet in January 2023. “We plan to roll out BeCafes across our network,” the company said.

In a bid to improve their profitability, fuel retailers in India are increasingly setting up non-fuel retail businesses such as pharmacies, convenience stores, cafes, and gaming zones at petrol filling and EV charging stations, The Economic Times reported.

Adani Total, Indian Oil, and Bharat Petroleum are also upping their game concerning convenience retailing, saying that non-fuel businesses are emerging retail destinations.

Convenience retail is being driven by infrastructure development and a rise in the number of highways and expressways in India, executives said.