Key Highlights:
- The store features products from Nothing and its budget brand, CMF.
- Nothing opens its first retail store in India, choosing Bengaluru for its debut.
- The two-storey outlet showcases products, projects, and on-site customisation.
- India is Nothing’s largest market, with over 2% smartphone share.
Nothing has opened its first retail store in India, marking a major offline push in its biggest global market.
The company chose Bengaluru, where a large share of its users live, signalling deeper long-term commitment beyond online sales.
The two-storey store will display Nothing’s hardware lineup, experimental projects, and branded merchandise. Buyers can also get select products customised. For a brand built largely online, this move brings its design-centric identity into a physical, walk-in format.
Why did Nothing choose India for its first store?
India has emerged as Nothing’s strongest growth market. According to IDC, the company crossed 2% smartphone market share and became the fastest-growing brand in India in Q2 2025, with 85% year-on-year shipment growth.
That scale explains why the first global store outside London is not in Europe or the US, but in India. The company plans more stores in Tokyo and New York, though timelines remain undisclosed.
What makes the Bengaluru store different?
The store focuses on experience, not just transactions. Co-founder and CEO Carl Pei said the space is designed to reflect the brand’s internal processes.
“We wanted to create a fun space,” Pei said. “It’s kind of inspired by all the parts that are related to the brand… we also show machines where phones go through testing, like USB port testing or water resistance testing.”
The layout is meant to explain how devices are built and tested, offering transparency rarely seen in consumer electronics retail.
How do Nothing and CMF fit into this strategy?
The store will sell products from both Nothing and CMF, its budget-focused brand launched last year. CMF operates from India and has a joint venture with local ODM Optiemus.
Pei said the brands serve different audiences and price points. Nothing targets a niche, higher-priced segment. CMF focuses on the mass market, while still emphasising design and product effort.
A growing trend in India’s retail tech landscape
Nothing’s move follows a wider trend of global hardware brands investing in physical retail across India. Apple is also expanding its footprint, with a new store opening soon in Mumbai.
Backed by Tiger Global, Nothing has raised $450 million to date. The Bengaluru launch shows how seriously the company views India as a core market, not just a volume play.
As Nothing strengthens its offline presence, the first India store could shape how the brand scales globally from here.
