Seventh Triangle, in collaboration with ZEPIC, hosted an exclusive leadership roundtable bringing together senior retail and D2C leaders for a discussion on the future of hybrid commerce in India. Designed as an intimate peer conversation, the session focused on evolving consumer behaviour, omnichannel realities, brand infidelity, and AI-led transformation shaping the next phase of retail growth in the country.
The roundtable format emphasised operator-led insights over theory, with a clear intent to help brands future-proof growth models. While Indian consumers still expect value for money, they now shop across multiple channels before making a purchase.
Discovery and evaluation now move fluidly across reels, reviews, marketplaces, brand websites, and stores. In this fragmented journey, brands can no longer rely on interruption-led marketing; relevance, consistency, and trust across touchpoints are becoming the real competitive edge.
Another central theme was the loyalty reset. Loyalty is increasingly intentional - earned through product-market fit, seamless experiences, and emotional memory - rather than inherited through habit or legacy brand equity. The discussion also examined the growing complexity of omnichannel execution.
With marketplaces driving a large part of business, traditional retail remains important in certain segments, requiring a balanced approach between digital engagement and in-store experience.
Prashant Gupta, Co-Founder, Seventh Triangle, said, “If today’s room taught me anything, it is that the Indian consumer hasn’t changed their standards; they still want value for money. What has changed is the path to that decision. The journey now jumps from reels to reviews to marketplaces to stores, and consumers have developed a sharp filter for noise. In that world, growth without a moat is just motion. A product that genuinely meets customer needs, an experience that stays consistent, operations and supply that don’t wobble, and data that helps you improve with every sale, that is the future of retail in India.”
Naveen, CEO of ZEPIC, added, “In an era of brand infidelity and endless choice, relevance is the new competitive advantage. Retail is moving beyond segmentation to real-time signals, and brands that listen better and act faster will define the next decade. In a world of fragmented journeys and low switching costs, resonance, not reach, will define consumer loyalty.”
The roundtable was attended by industry leaders, including Meena Bhatnagar, Global Head – CRM & CX, Malabar Gold & Diamonds; Vikas Dwivedi, Chief of Staff – CEO’s Office, Mafatlal Industries; Soumya Kant, Co-Founder, Clovia; Alok Dharadhar, Senior Leader, Style Union; and Rohit Kant, Brand Head, The Bear House.
As Indian retail enters a new era of hybrid commerce, conversations like these signal a stronger shift toward collaboration, intelligence-led growth, and execution excellence. Seventh Triangle and ZEPIC plan to continue building such forums to help brands stay relevant, resilient, and future-ready.