New Delhi: India’s retail jewellery leasing has moved sharply toward large format stores, which accounted for 50 per cent of leasing in 2025 sharply higher than 14 per cent in 2019, a report said on Thursday.
The report from CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd said the large shift indicated a repositioning of jewellery from a product-based transaction to an experience-led retail category.
Leading brands are transitioning from smaller 1,500–2,500 sq. ft. outlets to 8,000+ sq. ft. showrooms that serve as “experience centres” with private VIP bridal lounges, augmented reality virtual try on zones, gallery spaces for high value collections and personalised consultation rooms.
New market entrants and regional players in tier-II and tier-III cities are also leasing 8,000+ sq. ft. spaces, matching the scale of established national legacy flagships.
“The rapid expansion of large-format, experience-led stores signals a structural shift that is reshaping how brands engage with consumers and how developers design their tenant mix,” said Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO – India, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa, CBRE.
“Jewellery is emerging as the definitive premium anchor, delivering strong revenue performance, enhancing destination stature, attracting affluent shoppers, and strengthening long-term asset value,” he added.
The report also noted that the sector’s share in total organised retail leasing has risen from 2 per cent in 2019 to 8 per cent in 2025, placing jewellery among the top three demand drivers in India’s retail market, after fashion & apparel and F&B.
Absorption by jewellery brands doubled from 0.4 million sq. ft in 2024 to 0.8 million sq. ft in 2025, with Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Delhi-NCR collectively accounting for the majority of that demand.
The report also highlighted the growing emergence of dedicated jewellery precincts within large malls in the country.
Developers are proactively curating specialised jewellery zones by providing reinforced vaults and high-density specialised lighting, to accommodate the unique technical and operational requirements of jewellery retail.
Fine Jewellery continued to dominate at 72 per cent of leasing in 2025, but the share of leasing by Lab-Grown Diamond (LGD) brands rose from 5 per cent in 2024 to 8 per cent in 2025, reflecting a broader shift in consumer preferences.
(IANS)
